Effect of Music on Postoperative Pain and Physiologic Parameters of Patients after Open Heart Surgery

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of listening to personal choice of music on self-report of pain intensity and the physiologic parameters in patients who have undergone open heart surgery. The study design was quasiexperimental. Patients were selected through convenience sampling in the Cardiovascular Surgery Intensive Care Unit at a university hospital. The study was conducted with a total of 87 patients who underwent open heart surgery: 44 in the music group, 43 in the control group, ages between 18 and 78 years. Through pretest-posttest design, postoperative first-day data were collected. First, physiologic parameters (blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate) were recorded and a unidimensional verbal pain intensity scale applied to all participants. Later, the control group had a rest in their beds while the music group listened to their choice of music for 30 minutes. Physiologic data were then collected and the pain intensity scale applied once more. In the music group, there was a statistically significant increase in oxygen saturation (p = .001) and a lower pain score (p = .001) than in the control group. There was no difference between the groups in the other physiologic parameters. Results of this research provide evidence to support the use of music. Music might be a simple, safe, and effective method of reducing potentially harmful physiologic responses arising from pain in patients after open heart surgery.