A patient`s mood, including nerves and even feelings of guilt or irritability, can change the results of medical tests such as radiological tests, and even the use of catheters that check for blocked arteries.
In a study of 230 patients who underwent some medical test, 22 per cent who were in a bad mood affected the result; in most cases, there was an adverse event during the procedure, such as a prolonged lack of oxygen, a sudden drop or rise in blood pressure, bleeding or an abnormally slow heart rate.
(Source: proceedings of the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting, December 3, 2015)
