Music Listening Alleviates Anxiety and Physiological Responses in Patients Receiving Spinal Anesthesia

• Published in: Complementary therapies in medicine 2017-04, Vol.31, p.8-13
• Main Authors: Lee, Wen-Ping, Wu, Pao-Yuan, Lee, Meng-Ying, Ho, Lun-Hui, Shih, Whei-Mei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Aged; Anesthesia; Anesthesia, Spinal - adverse effects; Anesthesia, Spinal - psychology; Angiography; Anxiety; Anxiety - etiology; Anxiety - therapy; Autonomic nervous system; Biopsy; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - physiology; Bone marrow; Bone surgery; Brain; Cancer; Digital music; Ear; Emotions; Experimental research; Fear; Female; Hazards; Headphones; Heart diseases; Heart rate; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Indicators; Internal Medicine; Intervention; Listening; Lithotripsy; Male; Medical Education; Medical personnel; Middle Aged; Motivation; Music; Music Therapy; Myocardial infarction; Nausea; Pain; Pain perception; Perception; Physiological responses; Physiology; Receiving; Research design; Resonance; Respiration; Spinal anesthesia; Spine; Stress; Supine position; Surgery; Surgical implants; Taiwan; Temperature effects; Tension; Ventilation
• ISSN: 0965-2299; 1873-6963
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2016.12.006

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to explore the effects of listening to music on the anxiety levels and physiological responses of surgical patients receiving spinal anesthesia. Methods An experimental design was used in the study with an experimental group (n = 50) and a control group (n = 50). The experimental group received 30 minutes of musical intervention and routine nursing care in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) while the control group received only routine nursing care. Results The study found significant differences in both anxiety and physiological indices between the two groups. The mean score of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in the study group decreased from a pre-test score of 59.0 to a post-test score of 31.20 ( t = 28.63, p < 0.001). Physiological indices such as heart rate ( t = 2.61, p = 0.012), respiration rate ( t = 2.29, p = 0.026), systolic blood pressure ( t = 2.30, p = 0.026), and diastolic blood pressure ( t = 3.02, p = 0.004) decreased significantly as well. Control group was not seeing significant changes from pre-op values. Conclusion Listening to music while in the recovery room may decrease the level of anxiety in surgical patients receiving spinal anesthesia. The results of this study can serve as a reference for PACU nurses in utilizing music listening programs to achieve the goal of holistic care.