Most surgical patients experience preoperative anxiety. This anxiety can effect the amount of preanesthetic medication and anesthetic agents needed, and contribute to postoperative pain. Music has been recognized as a way to reduce anxiety and fear. The effect of hymn and sutra-chanting on the preanesthetic patient's anxiety in the operating room were studied.

98 patients were divided into two groups according to the religionist or atheism. Group I(n=50, religionist) and Group II(n=48, atheism) listened to hymn or sutra-chanting according to the patient's religion and choice. At ward, hemodynamic variables including systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate were measured as control values. Hemodynamic variables and measurements of anxiety score with Hamilton anxiety rating scale were made at pre-music and post-music in the operating room. Also, patient's response to the music was measured on the postoperative 5-6th day.

There were no difference between ward, pre-music, and post-music in terms of systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and pulse rate except the systolic pressure at pre-music that is grater than that of controls in both groups. Both group, anxiety score at post-music was significantly lower than that of pre-music (10.2±3.4 vs 4.4±2.9, 11.0±3.2 vs 5.7±3.1). At post-music, anxiety score in Group I showed significant reduced compaired with Group II (p<0.05). Patients showed relatively good satisfaction with music in both groups.

The results suggest that music with hymn and Sutra-chanting were effective to reduce preanesthetic anxiety in both religionist group and atheism group.