Evaluation of the effect of music on anxiety level of patients hospitalized in cardiac wards before angiography

Background: Patients experience high levels of anxiety before angiography, which is mostly associated with irreparable effects on health status of such individuals. Use of alternative medicine to reduce stress and anxiety is of paramount importance. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of music on anxiety level of patients hospitalized in cardiac wards before angiography.

Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 70 patients admitted to cardiac wards before angiography in three selected hospitals of Shiraz, Iran in 2015. Samples were selected through randomized and available sampling and divided into two groups of control (n=35) and intervention (n=35). In this study, the intervention group received one hour of music before angiography for 20 minutes, whereas the usual care of ward was provided for the control group. Data was collected using the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) by Spielberger one hour before angiography (immediately before the intervention) and 20 minutes after angiography (immediately after the intervention) through interviews with all the participants. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 22 using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, as well as paired and independent-tests.

Results: In this study, mean anxiety scores of patients in the intervention and control groups before the intervention were 48.45±6.63 and 48.25±6.63, respectively. After the intervention, these scores were changed to 44.28±5.21 and 49.02±7.74 in the intervention (P=0.004) and control (P=0.90) groups, respectively. Therefore, a significant difference was observed between the groups after the intervention (P=0.008).

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, music before angiography could lead to a significant decrease in anxiety level of patients. Therefore, this approach could be used as an effective method to alleviate anxiety in patients.