Musical Interventions Show Promise in Reducing Sedation in Critically Ill Children

Strategic Insights -

A study published in Pediatrics International has found that musical interventions can lead to a decline in heart rate, reduced procedural pain, and increased comfort in critically ill children in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The systematic review, conducted by researchers at Thammasat University Hospital, analyzed seven studies and found that musical intervention was associated with a decline in heart rate in five studies, reduced procedural pain in two studies, and increased comfort in four studies. However, the review also noted that the evidence was limited and that further research is needed to explore its effects on pediatric delirium.

Key Takeaways:

  • Musical interventions led to a decline in heart rate in 5 out of 7 studies, reduced procedural pain in 2 out of 7 studies, and increased comfort in 4 out of 7 studies.
  • The overall quality of evidence was rated as low due to the risk of bias, heterogeneity, and small sample sizes.
  • The review included 1 randomized crossover trial, 3 randomized controlled trials, and 3 pretest-posttest studies.
  • The studies were conducted in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and involved critically ill children.
  • The musical interventions in the studies included music listening, music playing, and music therapy.

Statistics:

  • 7 studies were included in the final analysis.
  • 5 studies found a decline in heart rate in response to musical interventions.
  • 2 studies found reduced procedural pain in response to musical interventions.
  • 4 studies found increased comfort in response to musical interventions.
  • 1 study found no improvement in delirium scores.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Data on Delirium Discussed by Researchers at Thammasat University Hospital (Musical interventions for comfort Care in Critically ill Children: A systematic review). Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 2025; p 158.
  • Pediatrics International, 2025;67(1). (Wiley-Blackwell - www.wiley.com/; Pediatrics International - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1442-200X)