The effect of music on pain in mechanically ventilated patients: A Systematic review.
Abdullah Avcı, Emine Kaplan Serin
PMID 39993917WHAT IT FOUND
In mechanically ventilated intensive care patients, music reduced pain in eight of 10 included studies, with no adverse effects reported.
The interventions varied widely, so no standard dose or music type is established.
Key findings
01Music interventions had a statistically significant effect on reducing pain in eight of the 10 included studies.
02No adverse effects were reported in any of the 10 included studies, although seven participants in one study disliked music and earplugs.
03The included studies showed significant heterogeneity in sample size, study design and music intervention characteristics, and the review authors advised caution because of these differences.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only English studies from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science were searched, so relevant studies in other languages or databases may have been missed. The included studies were not double-blind, so participant or provider expectations may have influenced pain ratings. The music interventions varied widely in type, tempo, duration, frequency, timing, provider, delivery device and who selected the music. The review authors advised caution because the studies differed in sample size, design and music characteristics. Country and culture differences in the included studies may limit how far the findings apply to other patient groups.
Declared interests
The research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies, and the authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that music is a proven, standardized treatment for pain in all mechanically ventilated patients. The review found significant pain reduction in eight of 10 studies, but the music types, durations, timing, providers and comparison conditions varied, and not every study showed a significant reduction.