Comparison of the Anxiolytic Effects of Saffron (Crocus sativus. L) and Diazepam Before Herniorrhaphy Surgery: A Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Background Anxiety is an unpleasant state of feeling agitation and pressure induced by the patient’s fear of hospitalization, anesthesia or surgery. Objectives The present study is aimed to compare the effects of dried extract of saffron and diazepam on soothing the pre-herniorrhaphy surgery anxiety. Patients and Methods In this double blind clinical study, during 8 months, 102 patients were studied in 2012. all the patients in intervention group (n = 50) received 25 mg dried extract of saffron and participants in control group (n = 52) received 5 mg oral diazepam. Level of anxiety of the patients was measured using speillberger state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) before intervention and 3 hours after administration (immediately after entering the surgery room) filled out by the patients. The patients in the two groups were compared concerning level of anxiety before/after intervention. The two groups of participants had almost equal demographic features. Results According to the results, level of trait anxiety in the intervention groups decreased from 37.24 ± 7.4 to 34.72 ± 7.45 and the trend among the control group was vice versa and increased from 34.51 ± 10.74 to 38.8 ± 9.97. The data showed significant relation between level of trait anxiety before and after intervention in control and experiment groups (P = 0.019). Conclusions Considering the findings, in comparison to diazepam, dried extract of saffron at 25 mg dose is more effective on soothing anxiety.