Music Reduces Panic: An Initial Study of Listening to Preferred Music Improves Male Patient Discomfort and Anxiety During Flexible Cystoscopy

Purpose: To assess the impact of listening to preferred music on relieving male patients' pain and anxiety during flexible cystoscopy. Patients and Methods: A total of 124 male patients were admitted to our hospital for flexile cystoscopy by a single urologist between January 2013 and September 2013 and randomized to two equal groups. Group 2 included 62 patients who could select and listen to their preferred music during flexible cystoscopy. Group 1 included 62 patients who were unable to listen to the music. All patients were administered the same amount of lidocaine (10 mL) for 3 minutes for local anesthesia before flexible cystoscopy. A visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 10 was used to assess patients' pain feeling after the cystoscopy procedure. Anxiety levels were calculated according to the State Instrument of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), and the pulse rate were recorded 5 minutes before and immediately after the procedure. The duration of the procedure of each group were also analyzed. Results: Statistically significant differences were detected between group 1 and group 2 in the mean pain score on VAS (2.53 +/- 1.34 vs 1.63 +/- 1.09, P = 0.002, Mann-Whitney U test), mean postprocedural State Anxiety Inventory pain score (39.4 +/- 6.5 vs 34.5 +/- 5.8), and postprocedural pulse rate (79.8 +/- 5.5 vs 76.0 +/- 7.3) (P < 0.001 for both, t test). Patients who listened to their preferred music experienced less discomfort and lower anxiety at cystoscopy. Patient age, duration of the procedure, preprocedural STAI-S, and preprocedural pulse rate of each group were comparable. Conclusion: Listening to preferred music during flexible cystoscopy is an easy way to improves male patients' comfort and reduce their anxiety. It could be recommended for male patients.