The Effect of Music on Pediatric Anxiety and Pain during Medical Procedures in the Main Hospital or the Emergency Department

The purpose of this study was to use music to distract and relax pediatric patients during medical procedures. Procedural support via live music therapy interventions included a variety of activities such as music paired with breathing exercises, counting to music, developing sequence in song, and manipulation of musical and play objects. Because invasive and non-invasive are two radically different types of procedures, two separate experimental designs were implemented and administered to a total of 40 pediatric patients between the ages of 5 and 12, in the main area and the emergency department of a southeastern regional hospital in North Florida. Invasive procedures included intravenous starts, finger pricks, incision and draining, suturing, and removal of foreign material in the skin. Non-invasive procedures included X-rays, computed tomography scans, and breathing treatments. All subjects were randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. Demographics were collected on all pediatric patients; this information included gender, age, procedure, and length of procedure. For self-report, The Pain Intensity and Assessment Tool, modeled after the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale, was administered pre and post treatment to measure each child's level of pain, and modified to measure each child's level of anxiety. Results indicated no significant difference in control versus experimental groups receiving either invasive or non-invasive procedures in the main hospital or emergency centers. Mean and standard deviation scores, however, showed a decrease in anxiety and pain levels when comparing pre to post procedures. A behavioral checklist was used post-intervention to record the number of times an anxiety-related behavior occurred. Regardless of procedure, groups receiving music intervention displayed fewer aversive behaviors than groups that did not. In addition, patient satisfaction with MT assistance during the medial procedures was 100%.