Authors (including presenting author) :
Tse WTE1, Lee MH1, Wu PY1, Chow KM1, Yeung SL1, Lee SF1, Yau BY1, Lam Y1, Ho YT1, Chan LL2, Chan PCS2, Ma TJI2, Yip TS2, Chan MK1, Ng ML1, Chow CMN2, Ng MLM12
Affiliation :
Department of Surgery1, Ruttonjee and Tang Shiu Kin Hospitals Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology2, Ruttonjee and Tang Shiu Kin Hospitals
Introduction :
Postoperative pain is the greatest concern of surgical patients. Failure to ease pain can negatively influencing postoperative rehabilitation and possibly contributing to chronic pain. Adequate pain management in early post-operative period can promote patients’ early mobilization. Thus, lessen the chance of having complications. Patients with no prior experience with surgery usually have higher levels of anxiety, which might simultaneously increase patient’s pain perception after surgery. Hence a longer physical recovery period may result. Music therapy is a kind of effective, non invasive intervention to enhance one’s well-being, reducing anxiety and stress, distracting people from unpleasant painful stimuli. In addition, Music therapy could be nurses’ initiated and without physician’s order.
Objectives :
To introduce a nurse initiated, non invasive intervention to reduce pain and anxiety in post-operative patients. To improve patients’ pain management in the immediate post-operative period. To enhance the quality of patient recovery.
Methodology :
A convenience sample of hospitalised persons with elective operations under general or spinal anaesthesia were selected and invited from two surgical and one orthopaedic wards in Ruttonjee Hospital during May to October 2018. For patients with (i) scheduled operation under other anaesthesia, (ii) emergency operations, (iii) hearing problems, (iv) cognitive impairment, and (v) given controlled analgesia or epidural for pain control postoperatively were excluded. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were adopted as assessment tools in a pretest posttest design to evaluate pain intensity and anxiety level respectively for both operation day and post-operation day 1. Training was provided to ward nurses before implementing the programme.
Result & Outcome :
Over 60% of participants reported effective reduction in anxiety and pain after operation. Around 30% of participants reported moderate effect, while below 10% showed limited effect. Furthermore, the result showed that music therapy is the most effective for patients undergone breast surgery. Music is considered as a simple, cost-effective and non-intrusive intervention to help lower anxiety and perceived pain in postoperative patients. Upon evaluation, participants suggested to (i) Increase the diversity of music. (ii) Increase the duration and frequency of session. (iii) use their own devices for music for more autonomy for enhancing the effectiveness of intervention. Further studies may focus on patients with breast operations would be more effective to confirm result as this study showed the positive result from the participants with breast operations mostly.
Co-location with:
