School-aged children’s experiences of postoperative music medicine on pain, distress, and anxiety

Enskar, K,, Kokinsky, E., Nilsson, S., Nilsson, U., & Sidenvall, B. (2009). School-aged children’s experiences of postoperative music medicine on pain, distress, and anxiety. Pediatric Anesthesia, 19(9), 1184-1190.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test whether postoperative music listening influences morphine consumption, pain, distress, and anxiety in school-aged children after day surgery. Although music medicine has been proposed to reduce distress, anxiety, and pain in different populations, there has been little research done on children after minor surgery. 80 participants were chosen who required analgesics, individual doses, objective pain scores, vital signs, and administration of anti-emetics. Half were put into a control group with no music, and the other half used music listening. Both before and after surgery, participants reported pain using the Coloured Analogue Scale, distress using the Facial Affective Scale, and anxiety using the short State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Researchers also incorporated semi-structured qualitative interviews. The children in the music group received less morphine and had a lower individual Facial Affective Scale, but showed no other significant differences. Therefore, this study suggests that music medicine reduces the requirement of morphine and decreases distress in children after minor surgery, but does not else influence the postoperative care. 

Link: http://journals1.scholarsportal.info.libproxy.wlu.ca/details/11555645/v19i0012/1184_sceopmmopdaa.xml