Patients who need mechanical ventilation to help them breathe may benefit from being surrounded by soothing music, according to an expert analysis published today.
The right music can help patients relax, reduce stress and heart and breathing rates, according to a series of studies.
Dr Joke Bradt, a specialist in creative arts therapies, analysed a total of eight studies involving more than 200 patients for The Cochrane Library, which publishes systematic reviews.
In one trial a music therapist used live music with a tempo matched to patients’ breathing rates. However few researchers gave details of the best music to use – although many used classical music.
Dr Bradt, of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, said more research on the kind of music that could help was needed.
He said: With all these factors making mechanical ventilation a highly stressful experience, it is exciting that music may provide a way to reduce anxiety in these patients without costly side effects.
"These results look promising, but we need more trials to strengthen the evidence and we would certainly be interested in seeing more research on live music interventions provided by trained music therapists.
"However, because music listening is an easy treatment to provide, we do recommend that music be offered as a form of stress management for critically ill patients."
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