Music Intervention to Prevent Delirium Among Older Patients Admitted to a Trauma Intensive Care Unit and a Trauma Orthopedic Unit

Delirium onset as a result of hospitalization poses a serious health risk to older patients. In a randomized, controlled study of 40 patients aged 55 and older, Dr. Kari Johnson, PhD, RN, ACS-BC with Honor Health in Scottsdale, Arizona, tested the effect of pre-recorded self-selected music playlists on trauma patients’ vital signs and assessed confusion. In the music intervention group, there was a statistically significant reduction in heart rate and systolic blood pressure, versus no change for the control group, indicating that the intervention had helped to reduce patient anxiety—a major precursor to onset of delirium. The study was published in the August 2018 issue of Intensive and Critical Care Nursing. Read more