The efficacy of music as an adjunct analgesic in reducing pain and anxiety during ultrasound-guided manual vacuum aspiration (USG-MVA): a randomized controlled trial.

Effect of Music on Pain, Anxiety, and Satisfaction During Intrauterine Device Application: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

This randomized controlled trial aimed to determine the effect of music played during intrauterine device (IUD) insertion on perceived pain, state anxiety, and satisfaction levels. The study was conducted with 70 women who applied to a maternal and child health and family planning center and were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups using simple randomization. Data were collected using a Demographic Information Form, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-I), and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), as well as Bluetooth speakers and the musical piece Evgeny Grinko-Valse. Participants in the intervention group listened to music before and during the IUD insertion procedure, whereas the control group received routine care only. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 with appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Women in the music group had significantly lower perceived pain (p < 0.001) and state anxiety levels during the procedure (p = 0.022), and significantly higher satisfaction levels compared with the control group (p < 0.001). In addition, post-procedure state anxiety levels were positively correlated with pain intensity experienced during and after the procedure (r = 0.542 and r = 0.496, respectively; p < 0.001), and negatively correlated with procedural satisfaction (r = -0.652; p < 0.001). These findings suggest that listening to music during IUD insertion may help reduce pain and anxiety while potentially enhancing patient satisfaction. Trial Registration: NCT06215183.

Effect of patient mobilization using nature sounds on anxiety, pain, and stress levels after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized controlled trial.

Comparison of the effectiveness of two active distraction methods in reducing pain, fear, and anxiety in children during venipuncture: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Pediatric venipuncture is one of the most stressful invasive procedures for children, often accompanied by intense pain, fear, and anxiety. This study aimed to compare the effects of two active distraction methods-bubble blowing and a material-free cognitive distraction/positive reinforcement technique-on pain, fear, and anxiety. METHODS This randomized controlled parallel-group trial was conducted between April and July 2025 in the pediatric venipuncture unit of a university hospital in western Türkiye. The sample comprised 207 children who met the inclusion criteria. The experimental arm included 135 children allocated to either Positive Reinforcement (n = 72) or Bubble Blowing (n = 63), and the control group consisted of 72 children who received standard care without any additional intervention during venipuncture. Data were collected using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale, the Child Fear and Anxiety Scale, and a Visual Analog Scale. Children's self-reported pain, fear, and anxiety scores were used as the primary outcome data. Parametric and nonparametric tests and effect sizes were used in the analyses. RESULTS In the control group, postprocedural pain and anxiety scores increased significantly (p < .001), whereas the increase was attenuated in the bubble-blowing and positive reinforcement groups. Because baseline fear/anxiety scores differed between groups, ANCOVA was performed using preprocedural fear/anxiety scores as a covariate; the adjusted group effect remained statistically significant. In the positive reinforcement group, the increase in fear- anxiety scores was small and did not reach statistical significance. Bubble blowing was more effective than positive reinforcement in reducing pain. CONCLUSION Both distraction techniques were associated with lower postprocedural pain and psychological distress scores compared with standard care. Bubble blowing showed a stronger effect on pain outcomes, whereas the positive reinforcement group showed only a small, statistically non-significant increase in fear/anxiety scores. These findings support the integration of simple, low-cost distraction strategies into pediatric nursing practice and skills training. TRIAL REGISTRATION The clinical trial registration number is NCT07249723. Registered 18 November 2025 - Retrospectively registered.

Music as a non-pharmacological intervention for anxiety during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a widely used non-invasive treatment for urinary stones. Nevertheless, procedural noise, discomfort, uncertainty, and repeated shock-wave delivery may cause clinically relevant anxiety. Music has been proposed as an accessible non-pharmacological strategy to improve the patient experience, but previous reviews have reported heterogeneous results and have frequently combined anxiety with pain or audiovisual interventions. We evaluated the association between music exposure and anxiety during ESWL. METHODS MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar were searched from inception to March 2026. Randomized controlled trials comparing music with standard care or no music in adults undergoing ESWL were eligible. Anxiety measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was analyzed separately. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed using mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Risk of bias was evaluated using Cochrane RoB 2. Leave-one-out sensitivity analyses, Baujat plots, funnel plots, and trial sequential analysis (TSA) were also performed. RESULTS Twelve randomized controlled trials were included in the systematic review. Ten contributed to the VAS analysis and eight to the STAI analysis. Music was associated with lower anxiety measured using VAS (MD -1.01; 95% CI -1.63 to -0.39; I2 = 80.1%) and STAI (MD -4.46; 95% CI -7.10 to -1.81; I2 = 91.2%). Leave-one-out analyses showed that the direction of the pooled estimates was not determined by any single study. However, substantial heterogeneity and possible small-study effects were present. The certainty of evidence was rated as very low for both outcomes. Under the pre-specified assumptions, TSA indicated that the cumulative evidence crossed the trial sequential monitoring boundary, although this finding does not address the risk of bias or inconsistency of the underlying studies. CONCLUSION Music was associated with modest reductions in anxiety scores during ESWL and may be considered a feasible non-pharmacological adjunct. Nevertheless, substantial heterogeneity, methodological limitations, variation in music and analgesia protocols, and very low certainty of evidence limit confidence in the magnitude and clinical relevance of the pooled effects. Additional well-designed trials using standardized interventions and clinically meaningful anxiety outcomes remain warranted.

Evaluation of the Effects of Computer-Controlled and Conventional Local Anesthesia on Pain and Anxiety in Children With Molar Incisor Hypomineralization: A Split-Mouth Study.

Lower salivary cortisol levels, a physiological marker of stress, were observed in the SleeperOne group during the treatment of MIH-affected teeth.

Combined use of EMLA cream and Buzzy for peripheral intravenous cannulation in children: a randomized controlled trial

Aim Preventing pain and distress during peripheral intravenous cannulation in children is essential to avoid long-term anxiety or needle phobia. This study evaluated whether combining EMLA cream with the Buzzy device is more effective than EMLA alone in reducing procedural distress and pain. Materials and methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial in two tertiary children's hospitals in Italy (March-October 2023). Children aged 4–12 years requiring intravenous cannulation were randomized to receive either EMLA alone or EMLA plus Buzzy. The primary outcome was distress, assessed by parents using the Children's Emotional Manifestation Scale (CEMS). Secondary outcomes included pain measured with the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) by children, parents, and healthcare operators, operator-rated distress, first-attempt success, and adverse events. Analyses followed an intention-to-treat basis. Results Ninety-four children (median age 8 years) were enrolled: 47 in the EMLA plus Buzzy group and 47 in the EMLA alone group. Parent-rated distress was significantly lower with EMLA plus Buzzy (median CEMS 6, IQR 5–7) than with EMLA alone (9, IQR 7–12; p = 0.001). Pain scores and first-attempt success rates were similar. No severe adverse events occurred. Conclusion Combining EMLA and Buzzy significantly reduced procedural distress perceived by parents without affecting pain scores.