Intervention
The music to be played during the C-section was chosen as a 28-minute piece of Sufi music with a slow rhythm (ranging from 60 to 72 beats per minute as measured by a metronome), with a low to medium tone and a harmonious melody (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h374RPfUoX0).28). When the pregnant woman was taken to the intervention table before the C-section, the music was begun via an earpiece before the spinal anesthesia. During the spinal anesthesia, commands were communicated to the patient at a low decibel level. Unnecessary staff conversations were prevented to avoid white noise. Apart from that, the patient was allowed to communicate with hospital staff. The music continued to play throughout the operation. The control group heard the normal ambient white noise without any music intervention.
Two interviews were conducted with these patients before and after the C-section. Fifteen minutes before admission to the operating room, the participant’s information form containing sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire were administered face-to-face by the researcher. During and after the operation, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation were followed and recorded. After the operation, the STAI-1 scale was re-applied by the researcher at the 30th minute in the post-anesthesia care unit.