Musical intervention on anxiety and vital parameters of chronic renal patients: a randomized clinical trial

Objective: to evaluate the therapeutic effect of music on anxiety and vital parameters in patients with chronic kidney disease when compared to patients receiving conventional care in hemodialysis clinics. Method: randomized clinical trial conducted in three renal replacement therapy clinics. Sixty people with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis were randomly allocated to an experimental group and a control group, 30 persons per group). State anxiety was evaluated in both groups by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. A t-test was used to verify the effect of the experimental manipulation on the variables. Results: we found a statistically significant difference between the groups regarding the degree of anxiety experienced during hemodialysis sessions. The experimental group presented a statistically significant reduction of anxiety scores (p = 0.03), systolic blood pressure (p < 0.002), diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.002), heart rate (p < 0.01) and respiratory rate (p < 0.006) after listening to music. Conclusion: music represents a potential resource for nursing intervention to reduce state anxiety during hemodialysis sessions.