Effect of Intraoperative Instrumental Music and Operating Room Noise Reduction on Anesthetic and Analgesic Requirements in Pediatric Patients Aged 3-18 Years Undergoing Surgery Under General Anesthesia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Overview

This randomized controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate the effects of intraoperative instrumental music and operating room noise reduction on anesthetic and analgesic requirements in pediatric patients aged 3-18 years undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. A total of 180 patients will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: an instrumental music group, a noise reduction group, or a routine care control group. In the music group, patients will be exposed to instrumental music through headphones during surgery. In the noise reduction group, operating room noise levels will be minimized using a standardized acoustic management protocol. The control group will receive standard anesthetic care without any acoustic intervention. All patients will undergo standardized general anesthesia. The primary outcomes will be intraoperative volatile anesthetic consumption (sevoflurane use and MAC values) and opioid requirements. Secondary outcomes will include hemodynamic parameters, postoperative pain scores, emergence delirium, and post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) length of stay. The study does not involve any experimental drugs, invasive procedures, or additional risks beyond routine clinical care. The findings may help determine whether simple non-pharmacological acoustic interventions can reduce anesthetic and analgesic requirements and improve perioperative outcomes in pediatric patients.

This study is a prospective, single-center, three-arm randomized controlled trial including pediatric patients aged 3-18 years who are scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: intraoperative instrumental music, operating room noise reduction, or routine care. In the music group, instrumental music will be delivered through headphones during surgery. In the noise reduction group, operating room noise will be minimized using a standardized acoustic management approach. The routine care group will receive standard anesthesia care without an additional acoustic intervention. General anesthesia will be managed according to a standardized protocol. Anesthetic depth, hemodynamic variables, anesthetic consumption, opioid use, postoperative pain, emergence delirium, and recovery room stay will be recorded and compared between groups. The study is designed to investigate whether simple non-pharmacological acoustic interventions during surgery can reduce anesthetic and analgesic requirements and improve early postoperative recovery in children.