Effects of Operating Room Noise on Anxiety and Pain in Non-General Anaesthesia Orthopaedic Surgery under Seamless Care and Diversified Health Education.

BACKGROUND

Operating room noise is a potential stressor that can adversely affect patients undergoing surgeries under non-general anaesthesia. This study aims to evaluate the effects of noise control measures in these patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed the medical records of 296 patients who underwent non-general anaesthesia orthopaedic surgery between January 2021 and December 2023. Patients were divided into the following two groups according to the treatment received: the operating room noise control (ORNC) group, which used noise-cancelling headphones, and the conventional operating room noise (CORN) group, which did not have noise reduction. We evaluated stress markers (cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine); anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and pain perception (Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire) before and after surgery. Patient satisfaction was gauged using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Statistical methods included t-test and Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables and Chi-square test for categorical variables.

RESULTS

Baseline demographics and clinical characteristics, including anxiety and stress indicators, were similar between groups preoperatively. After operation, patients in the ORNC group exhibited significantly lower systolic blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol and catecholamine levels compared with the CORN group (P < 0.05, for all). The ORNC group also had significantly reduced postoperative anxiety and pain scores (P < 0.05) and need for sedative medications (P = 0.002). Additionally, the patient satisfaction was higher in the ORNC group, with more reporting they were 'very satisfied' (37.96% vs. 22.64%, P = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

This study systematically evaluates the effectiveness of noise control in non-general anaesthesia orthopaedic surgery. Implementing noise control measures significantly reduces anxiety, pain perception and physiological stress markers, positively impacting the patient's recovery. These findings highlight the importance of auditory environment management as a critical component of comprehensive patient care and provide a basis for setting new standards for improving surgical outcomes and enhancing patient satisfaction.