Influence of Music Therapy on Cardiorespiratory Parameters and Stress Levels in Mechanically Ventilated Patients

Background: An innovative approach for treating patients in intensive care units on mechanical ventilation is music therapy. Its effectiveness in lowering stress and improving both physical and mental health has not been thoroughly studied, despite its historical use in healing. The present study delves deeper into the effects of music therapy on critically ill patients in India, emphasizing how it can alleviate financial burden, enhance haemodynamics, and lessen anxiety and discomfort. Objective: The study’s objective is to evaluate how music therapy affects mechanically ventilated patients’ cardiorespiratory parameters and stress levels. Methods: Thirty patients on mechanical ventilation participated in the interventional study, both males and females with age range of 18 to 65 years, which was conducted at AIIMS in Bhopal, India. Cardiorespiratory parameters such as HR – heart rate, RR- respiratory rate, SPO2- oxygen saturation, SBP – systolic blood pressure, DBP- diastolic blood pressure, TV- tidal volume, PEEP positive end-respiratory pressure, PaO2- partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood, PaO2/FiO2- pressure of oxygen in arterial blood to the fraction of inspired oxygen concentration, PP- positive pressure, PIP -peak inspiratory pressure, and FiO2%- fraction of inspired oxygen were measured both before and after music therapy. During these patients’ music therapy sessions, low-pitched instrumental music for relaxation and meditation was played. Blood samples were taken in order to determine the serum cortisol and IL-1 levels. Data was assembled and entered using Microsoft Excel, and it was analysed using licensed statistical software, SPSS version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results: In the intervention group, HR (p = 0.001), BP systolic (p = 0.001), BP diastolic (p<0.0001), PIP (<0.0001), PP (p=0.004), PEEP (p<0.0001), RR (p= 0.016), and PaO2/FiO2 (p=0.002), showed a significant decrease as compared to the baseline pre-music therapy group. TV (p=0.039) FiO2 (p<0.0001) and SPO2 (p<0.001), showed significant increase in the post-music therapy intervention group as compared to the baseline pre-music therapy group. Serum cortisol showed a significant decrease from in the post-music therapy intervention group (p<0.0001), whereas IL-1 was also decreased but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.133). Conclusion: This study reveals that music therapy for mechanically ventilated patients significantly improves cardiovascular and stress levels with improvements in respiratory parameters. Thus, further research is needed to explore more of the effects on respiratory parameters. This can be a promising supportive treatment in the future, further helping to decrease their weaning time on mechanical ventilation.