Music versus midazolam during preoperative nerve block placements: a prospective randomized controlled study

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Pain Management
• Psychology

Background:

• Music medicine is a safe, cost-effective, non-pharmacologic intervention for reducing preoperative anxiety.
• Preoperative anxiety is a common concern for patients undergoing regional anesthesia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the anxiolytic effects of music medicine versus midazolam before ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks.
• To evaluate patient and physician satisfaction and communication during the procedure.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled study comparing intravenous midazolam with headphone-delivered music medicine.
• Patients received ultrasound-guided single-injection peripheral nerve blocks for anesthesia or analgesia.
• Anxiety assessed using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory-6 (STAI-6).

Main Results:

• Both music and midazolam similarly reduced anxiety scores (p=0.14).
• Patient satisfaction was higher with midazolam (p=0.01), but physician satisfaction was similar (p=0.07).
• Increased communication difficulties were reported in the music group for both patients (p=0.005) and physicians (p=0.0007).

Conclusions:

• Music medicine can be an alternative to midazolam for preoperative anxiety relief before regional anesthesia.
• Further research is needed to determine if music's benefits outweigh increased communication barriers.
• Investigating music type and delivery methods is crucial for optimizing this intervention.