• Sue E Sendelbach, Margo A Halm, Karen A Doran, Elaine Hogan Miller, and Philippe Gaillard.
• Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, MN 55407-3799, USA. Sue.sendelbach@allina.com
• J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2006 May 1;21(3):194-200.

BackgroundCardiac surgery is a common interventional procedure for ischemic and valvular heart disease. Cardiac surgery is accompanied by postoperative pain and anxiety. The use of music therapy has been shown to reduce pain, anxiety, and physiological parameters in patients having surgical procedures.ObjectivesTo compare the effects of music therapy versus a quiet, uninterrupted rest period on pain intensity, anxiety, physiological parameters, and opioid consumption after cardiac surgery.Subjects And MethodsAn experimental design was used. A total sample of 86 patients (69.8% males) were randomized to 1 of 2 groups; 50 patients received 20 minutes of music (intervention), whereas 36 patients had 20 minutes of rest in bed (control). Anxiety, pain, physiologic parameters, and opioid consumption were measured before and after the 20-minute period.ResultsA significant reduction in anxiety (P < or = .001) and pain (P = .009) was demonstrated in the group that received music compared with the control group, but no difference was observed in systolic blood pressure (P = .17), diastolic blood pressure (P = .11), or heart rate (P = .76). There was no reduction in opioid usage in the 2 groups.ConclusionsPatients recovering from cardiac surgery may benefit from music therapy.

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