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The effect of audio therapy to treat postoperative pain in children undergoing major surgery: a randomized controlled trial

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the analgesic effect of music and audiobooks in children undergoing major surgical procedures when compared to a control (silence) group.

Methods

The study was a prospective and randomized trial. Children undergoing major surgeries were randomized to one of the three groups: music, audiobook or control (silence). The primary outcome was the pain burden reduction by two treatments within 48 h postoperatively. Pain burden was measured using the area under the pain scale versus the 30 min interval for each treatment.

Results

60 patients were recruited and 56 completed the study. Pain burden was reduced in the music and audiobook groups compared to control, median (IQR) of −60 (−90 to 0), −45 (−90 to 0) and 0 (−30 to 90) (min × pain score), respectively, P = 0.04. A linear regression analysis demonstrated an independent group effect on pain reduction even after adjusting for the mean pain scores recorded at the beginning of the treatment, slope of regression line −56.8 ± 24 goodness of fit r 2 = 0.25 and slope significantly different from 0 (P = 0.02).

Conclusions

Audio therapy is an efficacious adjunct method to decrease post-surgical pain in children undergoing major surgeries. Audio therapy should be considered as an important strategy to minimize pain in children undergoing major surgery.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Music Theory and Cognition Professor Richard Ashley, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois for his support of the study. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; Northwestern University.

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Author notes

  1. B. S. Sunitha Suresh

    Present address: Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, MD, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    B. S. Sunitha Suresh, Gildasio S. De Oliveira Jr. & Santhanam Suresh

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Northwestern University, 241 East Huron St F5-704, Chicago, IL, USA

    Gildasio S. De Oliveira Jr.

Authors
  1. B. S. Sunitha Suresh
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  2. Gildasio S. De Oliveira Jr.
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  3. Santhanam Suresh
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Correspondence to Gildasio S. De Oliveira Jr..

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Sunitha Suresh, B.S., De Oliveira, G.S. & Suresh, S. The effect of audio therapy to treat postoperative pain in children undergoing major surgery: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Surg Int 31, 197–201 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-014-3649-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-014-3649-9

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