Music may make vent weaning easier on patient

It appears that among the questions we should start asking patients when they are admitted to the hospital is: "What kind of music to you prefer to listen to when you are trying to relax."  This may be necessary just in case they eventually end up needing to be weaned from a ventilator.

The study was reported on at the 2015 American Thoracic Society Conference in Denver, and it was subsequently written about at RT Magazine, "Music Helps Patients Weaning From Prolonged Ventilation." Researchers had patients who had been on a ventilator greater than four days, were at least 21, and had no evidence of delirium, listen to music every other day.

The study concluded that, as reported by RT Magazine:

On music days, subjects had significant decreases in heart rate, respiratory rate, anxiety, and dyspnea pre- and post-music intervention. There were no significant decreases in SpO2 or mean blood pressure. On non-music days, no significant changes occurred with the variables.

When researchers compared the three music days with the three nonmusic days, there were significant decreases in respiratory rate, anxiety, dyspnea, and a significant increase in daily weaning time, but not heart rate, SpO2, or mean blood pressure.

Surely this is just one study, but it only makes sense.  It certainly wouldn't cost the hospital anything, as all a nurse would have to do is request family and friends bring in some of the patients favorite music.