World Congress on
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing

Biography:

Alisa Mendonca is currently working as a Senior Nurse in Critical Care under the National Health Services, United Kingdom 

Abstract:

Music is a understudied intervention for mechanically ventilated critically ill patients with large benefits. Conscious and intubated patients in Critical Care are commonly subjected to high level of anxiety, agitation and pain related to intubation and clinical procedures, which could have a noxious impact on their clinical condition (Dewey et al, 2013).

Traditionally, they were treated with increasing sedative use which amplified polypharmacy and their risk of delirium. Consequently, Devlin et al (2018) recommended the use of non-pharmacological adjuncts including Music Therapy to reduce pain, anxiety and delirium. Music therapy has been found to improve the emotional and physiological well being of patients in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). It helps eliminate the need for pharmacological interventions to control agitation , pain and anxiety .(Saasatmand,2015)

• Moon Fai Chai et al 2008 recommended that music therapy could help reduce anxiety and promote better patient outcome.

• Linda L. Chlan et al (2013) revealed that music can decrease the pain and anxiety using the VAS score assessment tool and helped increasing the comfort level .

• Hatice Ciftci ,(2015) found that music not only reduces anxiety but also minimizes sedative exposure, which can help reduce cost and interestingly music could be self initiated by the patient.
•  Chiu-Hsiang Lee et al.(2017) used cortisol as a biomarker to examine the effects of stress and anxiety in the mechanically ventilated patient. 
• Music therapy is a anxiety reducing , non invasive nursing intervention which helps patients cope with stress better in a stressful ICU environment.
•  The Society of Critical Care Medicine, (2013) recommends the use of nonpharmacological interventions acknowledging the fact that not many studies have been published.

Conclusion & Recommendation

• Music therapy is beneficial to critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilator support as they are unable to communicate effectively which leads to anxiety, fear and stress and decline in one’s health.
• Patients willingness and preference to music should be taken into account which help improve patients well being.