Slow-tempo music intervention does nothing to improve delirium outcomes in ventilated patients

A slow-tempo music intervention falls short of reducing the duration and severity of delirium in older patients on mechanical ventilation, according to a study.

A total of 158 older adults undergoing mechanical ventilation (mean age 68 years, 45.5 percent female) were included in the study. These patients were randomly assigned to undergo a music intervention comprising classical and contemporary tracks or an active control involving a silence track. The listening sessions lasted an hour and conducted twice daily, between 9 and 11 am and between 12 and 4 pm, for 7 days.

The primary outcome of delirium/coma-free days during the 7-day intervention period was evaluated using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) and the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale. Secondary outcomes included delirium severity (measured using the CAM-ICU-7), pain (evaluated using the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool), and anxiety (assessed using the visual analogue scale for anxiety [VAS-A]).

Over the 7-day intervention, the number of delirium/coma-free days did not significantly differ between the music intervention and the control groups (median, 2.5 vs 3 days; p=0.66). Similarly, no significant differences were seen in the mean CAM-ICU-7 scores, mean pain scores, or mean VAS-A scores.

At the end of the intervention, the music intervention and the control groups had similar CAM-ICU-7 scores (mean, 2.72 vs 2.56), Critical Care Pain Observation Tool scores (mean, 0.20 vs 0.61), and VAS-A scores (mean, 43.6 vs 28.8).