STEMI can cause severe chest pain that cannot be lost by resting, shifting position, or giving nitrates; the skin may be pale, sweaty and cold to the touch; in the initial symptoms blood pressure and pulse can rise, but also can change to a drastic decrease due to a decrease in cardiac output, if the condition gets worse this can lead to kidney perfusion and decreased urine output. If this condition lasts several hours to several days, it can show left ventricular dysfunction. Patients also sometimes experience nausea and vomiting and fever (Lewis, 2011).
The complications of STEMI according to Black & Hawks (2014) are dysrhythmias which include supraventrical tachycardia (SVT), atrial and ventricular dissociation (heart block), ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, symptomatic bradycardia; cardiogenic shock; heart failure and pulmonary edema; pulmonary embolism; recurrent myocardial infarction; complications caused by myocardial necrosis; pericarditis and dressler syndrome (late pericarditis).
Impaired basic needs in STEMI patients will cause nursing problems, such as impaired activity needs and also shortness of breath caused by a decrease in cardiac output, as well as impaired patient comfort. So that it is necessary to manage better patients such as modality therapy including medication, fluid management, dietary changes, lifestyle modification and intensive follow-up monitoring. Patient education and compliance are important aspects for better outcomes (Marreli, 2007).
Pain is a subjective sensation and emotional experience that is not soothing is related to tissue damage, actual or perceived in the event of damage. Pain is subjective, no two individuals experience the same pain and no two occurrences of the same pain produce identical responses or feelings to individuals. (Potter & Perry, 2009). Pain experienced by STEMI patients can appear at any time which cannot be predicted. If left untreated it can have harmful effects that can interfere with the healing process and can increase morbidity and mortality. Therefore, more effective treatment is needed to reduce the pain experienced by patients.
Management of non-pharmacological actions to reduce pain is to provide music therapy. Giving music therapy can reduce physiological pain, where this technique works by distracting someone from pain. Nurses can use music creatively in various clinical situations. Patients generally prefer listening to music. Music which from the beginning is in accordance with the individual's mood, is the best choice (Potter & Perry, 2005).
Music therapy also has a positive effect on the patient's vital signs and the patient's blood pressure. The results of a study conducted by Oztunc and Ciftci (2015) showed that playing music had a positive effect in normalizing the pulse, respiratory system, and blood pressure of the patient. In addition, music is a type of therapy that contributes to the comfort of ICU patients by reducing pain and anxiety.
