The effects of a music intervention during port catheter placement on anxiety and stress

Studies have shown that perioperative music interventions can reduce patients’ anxiety levels. However, in small operations like port catheter surgery evidence is sparse.

The present single-blinded, randomized controlled two-armed study included 84 female patients undergoing port catheter placement who were randomly assigned to either listening to music during surgery vs. no music intervention.

On the day of the surgery anxiety and stress levels were evaluated using subjective (STAI questionnaire, visual analog scales) and objective (vital parameters, salivary cortisol) parameters at different time points (before the surgery, at the end of the surgery, and 1 h post-surgery).

In sum, the study demonstrates that a music intervention during port catheter placement positively influences physiological anxiety levels, whereas no effects were revealed for subjective anxiety and salivary cortisol.

Thus, music can be considered as a low-cost addition to clinical routine in order to reduce patients’ heart rate and blood pressure.

Future studies are encouraged to further explore the differential effects of intraoperative music interventions on physiological, endocrinological, and subjective anxiety levels.

Published: 11 March 2021

source:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-85139-z

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85139-z