Influence of music and its genres on respiratory rate and pupil diameter variations in cats under general anaesthesia: contribution to promoting patient safety.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study were to recognise if there is any auditory sensory stimuli processing in cats under general anaesthesia, and to evaluate changes in respiratory rate (RR) and pupillary diameter (PD) in anaesthetised patients exposed to different music genres, while relating this to the depth of anaesthesia. METHODS: A sample of 12 cats submitted for elective ovariohysterectomy was exposed to 2 min excerpts of three different music genres (classical [CM], pop [PM] and heavy metal [HM]) at three points during surgery (T1 = coeliotomy; T2 = ligature placement and transection of the ovarian pedicle; T3 = ligature placement and transection of the uterine body). A multiparametric medical monitor was used to measure the RR, and a digital calliper was used for PD measurement. Music was delivered through headphones, which fully covered the patient's ears. P values <0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences between stimuli conditions for all surgical points were obtained for RR (T1, P = 0.03; T2, P = 0.00; T3, P = 0.00) and for PD (T1, P = 0.03; T2, P = 0.04; T3, P = 0.00). Most individuals exhibited lower values for RR and PD when exposed to CM, intermediate values to PM and higher values to HM. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The results suggest that cats under general anaesthesia are likely to perform auditory sensory stimuli processing. The exposure to music induces RR and PD variations modulated by the genre of music and is associated with autonomic nervous system activity. The use of music in the surgical theatre may contribute to allowing a reduced anaesthetic dose, minimising undesirable side effects and thus promoting patient safety.

A pilot study exploring the effects of musical genres on the depth of general anaesthesia assessed by haemodynamic responses.

OBJECTIVES: This pilot study aimed to investigate whether and how music and musical genres may influence the depth of anaesthesia, as measured using changes in arterial blood pressure (ABP), including systolic blood pressure (SBP), and heart rate (HR) across three different surgical time points. METHODS: This work focused on a sample of 12 female cats (Felis catus) that were subjected to an elective ovariohysterectomy (OVH), and three different surgical time points were considered (T1, coeliotomy; T2, ligature placement and transection of the ovarian pedicle; and T3, ligature placement and transection of the uterine body). All of the cats were subjected to stimulation with 2 min segments of three music tracks from different genres (pop [PM], classical [CM] and heavy metal [HM]). At the same time, ABP and HR measurements were obtained using a multi-parametric monitor. For statistical analysis, P values <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: For all cats, music exposure induced statistically significant changes in the parameters under study; the same finding was observed for the genre of music. The majority of cats experienced the same variation pattern, with lower values when exposed to CM, intermediate values when exposed to PM and higher values when exposed to HM. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Our results indicate that the development of sensory processing of acoustic stimuli is maintained by cats under general anaesthesia and reveal the influence of music on the autonomous nervous system, as measured using HR and SBP.

[The use of herbal medicine therapies by cancer patients]. / O uso de terapêuticas à base de plantas por doentes oncológicos.

The use of herbal complementary and alternative medicines is growing among Portuguese cancer patients, contributing to a higher risk for unwanted interactions, especially due to the narrow therapeutic index of most oncolytic drugs. A literature review was carried out in order to determine which medicinal plants are most commonly used by cancer patients, in Europe and USA, and their risk of interaction with the multiple medications taken by those patients. The collected information reveals a high degree of herb-drug interaction suggesting that patients under antineoplastic treatments should avoid the concomitant use of herbal medicines. These findings show that it is extremely important to have a clear knowledge of the herbal complementary and alternative medicines used by Portuguese cancer patients and to assess healthcare professionals' familiarity and attitude towards its use by cancer patients.