Effect of Sound Therapy Application on Pain and Vital Signs in Patients after Abdominal Surgery on Ventilation at the Intensive Care Unit, Buddhachinaraj Phitsanulok Hospital

Abstract

This two group pre-posttest quasi-experimental research design from the intensive care unit of Buddhachinaraj Phitsanulok hospital aimed to study the effects of a sound therapy smartphone application on pain and vital signs in abdominal surgery patients under ventilation. A simple random sample was selected, based on the inclusion criteria. The sample group was divided into experimental and control groups, 35 persons in each group. The control group received routine care, while the experimental group received the sound therapy for 3 consecutive days, 30 minutes per day. The instruments were the visual analogue scale (VAS) and vital signs measurements. The vital signs were assessed 3 times: 1) before initiation, 2) after 30 minutes of sound therapy, and 3) on the third day. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, mixed model ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U test, one-way repeated measures ANOVA, as well as Friedman test. Results were as follows.

1. After abdominal surgery, pain levels, as well as both systolic and diastolic blood pressure results, were different between the experimental and control groups, at the statistically significant level of p-value < .05.

2. After receiving the sound therapy, patients in the experimental group had significantly lower levels of pain and better vital signs than before, at the p-value < .05 level.

Therefore, the results of this study indicate that the sound therapy application can be used to reduce pain and enhance vital signs in abdominal surgery patients who are under ventilation.