Music Intervention Alleviates PAH Patients Postsurgical Pain

To ease discomfort after a surgical procedure, patients typically receive medication and instructions for recovery. During a recent study in Pennsylvania Hospital’s post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), though, patients also received another tool to reduce their pain: a pair of headphones. Funded by a research grant from the American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses (ASPAN), the study suggests that when patients are experiencing persistent postsurgical pain, music may be one of the best medicines.

The collaborative study was spearheaded by Anna Lee Sigueza, MSN, assistant nurse manager of Perianesthesia, and PACU nurses Erin Kelly-Hellyer, MSN, and Mara Pestritto, BSN, BA, in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Though the study was delayed due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, by late spring 2020, the researchers were back on track and recruiting patients. They decided to specifically examine pain management among adult patients who were undergoing joint replacement surgery, using either general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia.

Prior to surgery, patients compiled a playlist with songs they enjoyed, and if randomly selected, would be provided an iPad and headphones to receive the music intervention in addition to the standard pharmacological therapy during their stay in the PACU. “It was interesting to see how eclectic the patients’ music choices were throughout the study,” Sigueza said. “One patient wanted to listen to a podcast, while other patients only wanted to listen to Bruce Springsteen or top hits.”

The researchers found that patients who were in the music intervention group had a lower average pain score upon discharge from the PACU compared to the control group that only received the standard pharmacological therapy. In addition, patients provided feedback, sharing how the music positively impacted their overall experience. The team was able to share their findings with their perianesthesia peers during last month’s virtual 2021 National ASPAN Conference.

“We understand that there’s going to be fresh surgical pain that needs to be addressed with medication,” said Sigueza. “But we hope that the study will provide alternative interventions for addressing pain management and lessen the use of opioid and narcotics post-surgery.”