The effects of standardized musical intervention (Music Care© type) during painful cares on vigils patients in intensive care unit

INTRODUCTION: Pain has long been a focus of concern for doctors and caregivers. In intensive care unit, the inability to verbalize discomfort and pain are major stressors for patients. Music therapy has demonstrated in many international studies its effect on the blood pressure and on the respiratory frequency. In this context, we conducted a study to evaluate the effects of standardized musical intervention on pain during painful cares in vigils patients hospitalized in critical care. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Design—We conduct a prospective, observational, randomised, single blind, mono center study. 140 painful cares were studied and then distributed in two groups (n = 70 with music, n = 70 without music). The patients were equiped with a Bose© helmet, and had or not music therapy during the care. Our main criteria was the pain, it has been evaluated by a numeric scale before and after the painful care. We also estimated anxiety with the COVI’s heteroevaluation scale before and after the car. We also noticed if the care were stopped because of the pain, then we used a semi quantative numeric scale in order to estimate the feeling of the caregiver and the patient on the session. RESULTS: Concerning pain, there is no significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.005). However, in the music group, pain decreased by 35% after the care (p < 0.001). Anxiety was way lower in the music group than in the group without music (p < 0.001). We also noticed a decrease of 50% of the anxiety in the music group. The patients and the caregivers’ feeling were the same in the two groups, with no significant difference (p > 0.05). On the other hand, caregivers tended to underestimate the difficulty of the session in comparison with the patients’ (p < 0.01) in both groups. CONCLUSION: Music therapy did not improve the pain in a significant way, in the music group versus the group without but allowed a decrease of 35% of the pain after the care. Nevertheless, music reduced by two patients’anxiety.