The effect of a mobile application-based music intervention on pain levels and analgesic consumption following surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of mobile application-based musical tonalities delivered at different times of day on postoperative pain and analgesic consumption after orthopedic trauma surgery.

METHODS

This randomized controlled study included 80 patients undergoing orthopedic trauma surgery at a university hospital. Tonalities (Rast, Nihavend, Neva) were delivered via an Android-based mobile application in the morning (T1), afternoon (T2), and evening (T3). Pain was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale, and analgesic consumption was recorded.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics were largely comparable; however, body mass index (p=0.002) and marital status (p<0.001) differed between groups. Pain scores decreased significantly over time in both groups (p<0.001). After Bonferroni correction, baseline pain did not differ between groups, whereas post-intervention pain scores differed at all post-intervention time points (T1b, T2b, T3b; p<0.0083), with lower scores in the control group. Analgesic consumption did not differ significantly between groups (p>0.05). In robust regression analyses controlling for baseline Numerical Rating Scale, body mass index, and marital status, the intervention group showed significantly higher Numerical Rating Scale scores at all measurement times, and baseline Numerical Rating Scale was the strongest predictor of postoperative pain.

CONCLUSION

Postoperative pain decreased over time in both groups, and baseline pain level was the strongest determinant of postoperative pain perception; no significant between-group difference was observed in analgesic consumption.