Effect of Auditory Stimulation on the Level of Consciousness in Comatose Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Comatose patients are exposed to sensory deprivation in the intensive care units. Auditory stimulation of patients who are unconscious is a nonmedical procedure. This study examines the effect of organized voice, performed by a nurse, on the state of consciousness of comatose patients in intensive care units.

METHOD: This randomized controlled trial study of 60 patients was conducted fitting between August 2017 and February 2018. For 10 days, patients received the voice of a male nurse twice a day in the morning and night shifts, recorded on MP3 and repeated at least 3 to 4 times. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores were recorded by the researcher before and after auditory stimulation.

RESULTS: Patient mean age was 69.2 years; 56.7% of the experimental group and 53.3% of the control group were male. On the first day in the morning and evening after auditory stimulation, the mean GCS was 4.8 in the experimental group and 4.7 in the control group. Before and after the intervention on the 10th day after auditory stimulation, the mean GCS of patients was 9.5 in the experimental group and 7.1 in the control group in the morning and 9.6 and 7.2, respectively, in the evening. No significant differences in mean GCS by group were observed for the first 3 days (P > .05). However, the difference in mean GCS scores of the 2 groups was statistically significant after the third day (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS: Auditory stimulation is associated with higher GCS in comatose patients.