The Effect of Music Therapy on the Pain Level of 3 to 6-year-old Children Undergoing Wound Repair by Suturing and Their Parents' Anxiety in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Music can serve as a passive distraction to reduce pain and anxiety. Due to the limited number of studies in this field, a study was designed and implemented to determine the effect of music therapy on the pain level of 3 - 6-year-old children undergoing wound repair by suturing and their parents' anxiety in the emergency department. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effect of music therapy on the pain level of 3 to 6-year-old children undergoing wound repair by suturing and their parents' anxiety in the emergency department. Methods: The present study is a parallel, controlled, randomized clinical trial. Sixty children aged 3 to 6 years referred to the emergency room for sutures were included in the study. In the test group, music was played on a mobile phone from the time the child entered the outpatient operating room until the end of the procedure and discharge. In the control group, children were sutured as usual. The behavioral reactions of both groups were assessed using Wong-Baker's pain scale before washing the wound, immediately after the injection of lidocaine, and at the end of the suture. The abbreviated Spielberger Situational Anxiety Questionnaire was used to measure parents' anxiety before washing the wound and at the end of the suture. These measures were recorded by the researcher. Results: Comparing the mean (standard deviation) of pain before washing the wound in the test group (9.90 ± 0.44) and the control group (9.97 ± 0.258) showed no statistically significant difference (P = 0.311). Using the GEE model, the average pain score immediately after lidocaine injection and at the end of the suture decreased by 1.77 and 4.9 units, respectively, compared to the phase before washing the wound (P < 0.001). The average anxiety of parents before washing the wound was 21.05 ± 2.59 in the test group and 21.05 ± 2.09 in the control group, showing no statistically significant difference (P = 0.801). Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of children's pain and parents' anxiety. However, clinically, the average levels of children's pain and parents' anxiety in the intervention group decreased at all three times. Music therapy seems to be effective in the emergency department during painful procedures.