To observe and compare influences of music use during spinal-epidural anesthesia on parturient anxiety, pain and satisfaction in emergency cesarean section.

One hundred and ten parturients for emergency cesarean section were divided randomly into two groups, with 55 parturients each. The music group listened to the patient′s preferred music on a mobile phone through an external amplified speaker, the control group did not listen music. All women received a standardized spinal-epidural anesthesia. The outcomes included obstetric parameters, hemodynamic parameters, anxiety, pain and patient satisfaction.

A total of 99 parturients were included in the statistical analysis. The music group experienced low anxiety as measured by Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and State Anxiety Inventory (S-AI) scores immediately after spinal-epidural anesthesia (P<0.05). However, no significant difference in mean pain scores in two groups (P>0.05). A higher patient satisfaction rate was observed in the music group during the whole process of anesthesia (P<0.05). The desire for music use for future spinal-epidural anesthesia was higher in the music group (P<0.05).

Music use during spinal-epidural anesthesia in emergency cesarean section promotes lower postprocedure anxiety and provides a higher patient satisfaction for emergency cesarean section.

Music; Cesarean section, emergency; Anixiety; Pain; Satisfaction