Receptive Music Therapy for Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Live music therapy provided by a board-certified music therapist reduces anxiety, decreases pain, and improves the physiological response of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of live music therapy on the physiological parameters and pain and agitation levels of adult ICU patients receiving mechanical ventilation. METHODS: A total of 118 patients were randomly assigned to live music therapy or standard care. The music therapy group received 30 minutes of live music therapy tailored to each patient's needs. The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale and the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool were completed by critical care nurses immediately before and after each session, and the patients' heart rates, respiratory rates, and oxygenation levels were measured. RESULTS: Patients who received live music therapy had significantly different scores on the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (P < .001) and the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (odds ratio, 6.02; P = .002) compared with the standard care group. Significant differences between groups were also reported in heart rate (P < .001). No significant differences were found in oxygen values. CONCLUSIONS: Live music therapy significantly reduced agitation and heart rate in adult patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU. These findings provide further evidence for the benefits of music therapy in the ICU, including in intubated patients.

The Effect of Healing Touch on Critical Care Patients' Vital Signs: A Pilot Study.

To determine the impact of Healing Touch on vital signs, adult intensive care unit patients were recruited from multiple hospital sites. Both pain and agitation improved and there was a significant change in hemodynamics that reflected a calming effect. Healing Touch may be considered a respected addition to symptom management.

Impact of an Active Music Therapy Intervention on Intensive Care Patients.

BACKGROUND: Nonpharmacological interventions appear to benefit many patients and do not have the side effects commonly associated with medications. Music-based experiences may benefit critical care patients. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of an active music therapy intervention on physiological parameters and self-reported pain and anxiety levels of patients in the intensive care unit. METHODS: A study was conducted using a pretest-posttest, within-subject, single-group design. The study population consisted of a convenience sample of 52 patients. Study participants received a 30-minute music therapy session consisting of either a relaxation intervention or a "song choice" intervention. The music therapist recorded the patients' vital signs before and after the intervention, and patients completed self-assessments of their pain and anxiety levels before and after the intervention. RESULTS: After the intervention, significant decreases (all P < .001) were found in respiratory rate (mean difference, 3.7 [95% CI, 2.6-4.7] breaths per minute), heart rate (5.9 [4.0-7.8] beats per minute), and self-reported pain (1.2 [0.8-1.6] points) and anxiety levels (2.7 [2.2-3.3] points). No significant change in oxygen saturation level was observed. Outcomes differed between the 2 intervention groups: patients receiving the relaxation intervention often fell asleep. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support active music therapy as a nonpharmacological intervention in intensive care units. This study may lay the groundwork for future research on music therapy in critical care units using larger, more diverse samples.