The Effect of Music Intervention on Anxiety, Fear, and Pain in Pediatric Patients Receiving Intrathecal Chemotherapy

The Effect of Music Intervention on Anxiety, Fear, and Pain in Pediatric Patients Receiving Intrathecal Chemotherapy

Intrathecal chemotherapy is often used to prevent the spread of cancer to the central nervous system in pediatric patients and is one of the most invasive procedures. It is believed that the way it is administered and the complications experienced after treatment negatively affect the comfort of the pediatric patient, leading them to refuse the treatment.

Receiving sedation is one of the pharmacological procedures for intrathecal chemotherapy which creates a particularly difficult situation for the child. However, since pharmacological methods increase the cost and cause toxicity in children, in recent years, the symptoms that occur in cancer treatment have been tried to be controlled with non-pharmacological methods. Music intervention facilitates a sense of control in patients and provides mental distraction, emotional smoothness, and relaxation, which have been found to have pain relief effects.

Inclusion Criteria:

• To be between 6-12 years old,
• Being treated in the Hematology and Oncology Clinic,
• About to receive intrathecal chemotherapy treatment,
• The child not having pain before intrathecal chemotherapy treatment

Exclusion criteria were,

• Refusing to participate in the study,
• Being under 6 years of age and over 10 years of age,
• The child having pain prior to intrathecal chemotherapy treatment,
• Having any physical or mental disability,
• Not being able to speak Turkish.