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Leon Morgenstern, MD
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, Calif

JAMA. 1995;273(14):1091.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—In nearly half a century spent in operating rooms, most of it as director of surgery in a large teaching hospital, I was convinced that music of any kind in the operating room detracted from the intensity of purpose and attentiveness mandatory in that setting. During my frequent operating room rounds, I would hear all types of music, ranging from rock to Bach. At times, the noise level emanating from the anesthetist's boom box was loud enough to drown out any meaningful communication between surgeon and scrub nurse. I forbade the playing of music during resident teaching, not only because I felt that it taught a bad habit, but also because it diluted the teaching experience.

Music hath charms, but there should be no savage beasts in the operating rooms. I hope the article by Drs Allen and Blascovich,¹ whose tests were performed far from the . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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