Impact of music therapy before first-trimester instrumental termination of pregnancy: a randomised controlled trial

Objectives To evaluate the impact of preoperative Music Therapy (MT) on pain in first-trimester termination of pregnancy (TOP) under local anaesthesia. Design Randomised controlled trial comparing women undergoing a first-trimester TOP under local anaesthesia with or without a preoperative MT session. Setting University Hospital of Angers from November 2016 to August 2017. Population Women who underwent first-trimester TOP under local anaesthesia. Methods Women allocated to the MT group underwent a preoperative 20-minute session of MT. Main outcome measures Pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) just before the procedure, during the procedure, at the end of the procedure and upon returning to the ward. Results A total of 159 women were randomised (80 in the MT group, and 79 in the control group). Two women were excluded from the control group and six from the MT group. Therefore, 77 women were analysed in the control group and 74 in the MT group. The intensity of pain was similar in the two groups just before the procedure (VAS 4.0 +/- 2.9 versus 3.6 +/- 2.5; P = 0.78), during the procedure (VAS 5.3 +/- 2.5 versus 4.9 +/- 2.9; P = 0.78), at the end of the procedure (VAS 2.7 +/- 2.4 versus 2.6 +/- 2.4; P = 0.43) and upon returning to the ward (VAS 1.8 +/- 2.0 versus 1.5 +/- 2.0; P = 0.84). The difference in pain between entering the department and returning to the room after the procedure was similar between the MT and control groups (difference in VAS 0.3 +/- 2.5 versus 0.3 +/- 2.4; P = 0.92). Conclusion An MT session before a TOP under local anaesthesia procedure resulted in no improvement in patient perception of pain during a first-trimester TOP. Tweetable abstract Music therapy before first-trimester termination of pregnancy under local anaesthesia did not improve the perception of pain.