Effect of music on vital signs and postoperative pain

AORN Journal, August, 2004 by Eleni Ikonomidou, Anette Rehnstrom, Ole Naesh

TABLE 1
Patient Group Characteristics

                        Music       Control
                        group *     group *
Variable                (n = 29)    (n = 26)

Age (years)            34 (25-45)   34 (22-42)
Weight (kg)            63 (52-96)   64 (43-100)
Surgery (minutes)      26 (12-61)   25 (10-56)
Anesthesia (minutes)   53 (37-85)   52 (30-80)

* Expressed as median and range.

TABLE 2
Preoperative and Postoperative Effects of Music

  Variable                            Preoperative

                           Before compact             After
              Group *        disc (CD)                 CD

                 Music           --                    --
Pain
              No music           --                    --

                 Music           --                    --
Opioid
              No music           --                    --

                 Music     24 [  or -] 20.7   13.8 [  or -] 15.6 **
                                                   (P = .0001;
                                                    t = 4.8)
Well-being
              No music   32.2 [  or -] 27.4   26.6 [  or -] 26.8 **
                                                   (P = .015;
                                                    t = 2.6)

                 Music     16 [  or -] 1        14 [  or -] 2 **
Respiratory                                        (P = .0001;
rate                                                t = 4.5)
(breaths
per min)      No music     15 [  or -] 2        15 [  or -] 2 (#)
                                                   (P = .023;
                                                    t = 2.3)

Blood            Music    117 [  or -] 10      114 [  or -] 9
pressure
(mm Hg)       No music    115 [  or -] 9       112 [  or -] 8

Heart rate       Music     71 [  or -] 7        69 [  or -] 8
(beats per
min)          No music     71 [  or -] 7        68 [  or -] 8

  Variable                              Postoperative

                                Before                  After
              Group *             CD                     CD

                 Music    31.7 [  or -] 20.2    19.9 [  or -] 13.9 **
                                                     (P = .005,
                                                      t = 3.1)
Pain
              No music      34 [  or -] 22.9    24.7 [  or -] 18.1 **
                                                     (P = .037,
                                                      t = 2.2)

                 Music            --             2.2 [  or -] 2.9
Opioid
              No music            --             4.3 [  or -] 2.4 (#)
                                                     (P = .04,
                                                      t = 2.2)

                 Music    18.1 [  or -] 10.2    22.5 [  or -] 15.2
Well-being
              No music   20.4  [  or -]  23.4   18.9 [  or -] 21.9

Respiratory      Music      14 [  or -] 2         12 [  or -] 2
rate
breaths)
per min)      No music      15 [  or -] 2         14 [  or -] 2

                 Music     111 [  or -] 8        108 [  or -] 8 **
Blood                                                (P = .04,
pressure                                              t = 2.2)
(mm Hg)
              No music     111 [  or -] 9        108 [  or -] 8

                 Music      64 [  or -] 8         60 [  or -] 7 **
                                                     (P = .018,
Heart rate                                            t = 2.5)
(beats per
min)          No music      65 [  or -] 9         60 [  or -] 7 **
                                                     (P = .007,
                                                      t = 2.9)

Pain, nausea, and well-being were measured on a visual analogue
scale (ie, 0 mm to 100 mm) before and after laparoscopic gynecologic
surgery. Figures are given as men [  or -] standard deviation.

* Music group (M), n = 29; no music group (C), n = 26.

** Significant difference within the group.

(#) Significant intergroup difference.