Children hearing music during CT scans reported less fear
In children undergoing emergency-department CT scans, music was associated with lower fear and anxiety than the control condition. The abstract does not report the size of these differences and contains inconsistent oxygen-result reporting.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
For children undergoing CT scans, playing music during the procedure produced lower reported fear and anxiety than the control condition. Pulse and breathing rates were also lower. However, the abstract does not quantify these differences, and the findings concern distress during scanning rather than demonstrated reductions in sedation needs or better imaging results.
The oxygen saturation result is internally inconsistent: it states there was no group difference but supplies a significance value that conflicts with that wording. Effect sizes for fear and anxiety are not reported.
What researchers found
Children's distress measures
Music group versus control during the CT scan; statistically significant differences reported, without score differences or confidence intervals.
What the trial measured
Researchers used children's fear and anxiety scales alongside measurements of vital signs. These outcomes describe emotional distress and physical measurements during the procedure; they do not directly measure whether music changed the scan's diagnostic quality.
What remains unanswered
The abstract discusses possible benefits for cooperation and sedation needs, but its reported trial results do not establish those outcomes. Details of the music and control condition are also absent, limiting interpretation of the tested approach.
The original publication
The Effect of Music on Fear and Anxiety of Children During Tomography: A Randomized Controlled Double-Blind Study.
Kurudirek F, Demir Barbak Z, Demir İmamoğlu Z et al.
Int J Nurs Pract · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40511812
- Record checked
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