Background and purpose: Pre-surgery and anesthesia anxiety are normal reactions to mental pressure in which the main symptom is hypokalemia. Chlordiazepoxide is used as a neuroleptic agent. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of Chlordiazepoxide on hypokalemia caused by anesthesia anxiety.

Materials and methods: In a double-blind randomized controlled trail, 166 patients with cancer who were candidate for major surgeries were enrolled. The study was carried out in Tehran Imam Khomeini Hospital, 2016. The subjects were randomly divided into two experimental and control groups (n=83 per group). Data was collected using Spielberger questionnaire for anxiety and blood test to measure the serum potassium level. In experimental group 5 mg Chlordiazepoxide was administered while the control group received 5 mg placebo. The medications were taken orally the night before operation and again at the morning of operation. Data was analyzed by Chi-square test, Wilcoxon signed ranks test and paired t-test using SPSS V. 16.

Results: Before the intervention no significant differences were seen in serum potassium level and pre-operation anxiety level between the two groups. After the intervention, the variations of these two parameters in test and control groups were -1.83±0.2, -0.01±0.002 and +8.73±3.98, -0.22±0.03, respectively. Only in control group, significant variations were found in K level (P<0.0001) and anxiety level (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Chlordiazepoxide was found to be effective in prevention of hypokalemia and overt anxiety increase in patients undergoing surgery to reduce the side effects of anesthesia and surgery.