Perioperative medicine & outcomes
The Number Needed to Treat for Music as a Medicine against Perioperative Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Pooled result · Anxiety reduction after music interventionsResult — go to the resultSMD −0.72 95% CI −0.92 to −0.53Authors' conclusion
This meta-analysis shows that a relatively low number of patients need to be treated with music intervention to reduce perioperative anxiety with an effectiveness similar to benzodiazepines.
Study context
- Population
- Surgical patients with perioperative anxiety (RCTs)20 papers
- Comparison
- Perioperative music intervention vs control
- Outcome
- Perioperative anxiety (VAS for Anxiety or 6-item State-Trait Anxiety Index); NNT
Methodological detailsCochrane risk-of-bias assessment, NNT by Furukawa's method
- Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment
- NNT by Furukawa's method
Pooled result
Anxiety reduction after music interventions
SMD
−0.72
95% CI −0.92 to −0.53
Music vs Control
SMD −0.72 (95% CI −0.92 to −0.53)
As reported in the abstract
- NNT for perioperative music intervention
- 4
Original publication
The Number Needed to Treat for Music as a Medicine against Perioperative Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Anesth Analg. Published 13 March 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →