The Effects of Music Therapy on Adult Patients Requiring Mechanical Ventilation in the ICU

The study will include 178 adult patients on mechanical ventilation. These patients will be randomly assigned to the music therapy group or control group and matched for diagnosis, co-morbidities, age, and gender. The music therapy group will utilize a certified music therapist to provide live music based on the patient's cultural preferences and entrainment. The primary outcome is a reduction in mechanical ventilation hours of 35% compared to the control group. Secondary outcomes include: Amount of sedation, Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), delirium and pain score, ICU and hospital length of stay. The researchers hypothesize that live entrained music therapy compared to control will result in a reduction in the time of extubation, amount of sedation administered, ICU and hospital length of stay.

Inclusion criteria

• Adult patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, acute hypercapnic respiratory failure, and ARDS admitted to the ICU requiring mechanical ventilation
• Patients that are anticipated to remain on invasive mechanical ventilation for 48 hours or more will be screened for participation in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Under 18 years of age
• Identified hearing disorder
• Prior history of chronic respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation
• RASS score of -4, or -5
• Active seizures, or status epilepticus
• Cardiac arrest
• Coma
• End of life
• More than 2 vasopressors