London, Aug 5 (IANS): Playing music during operations may hinder communications and cause tension between junior and senior doctors, thereby putting patients' safety in jeopardy, new research has found.

"Our study shows that playing music in the operating theatre can run counter to effective communication and highlights the need to consider both positive and negative effects of music on staff and patients," said lead study author Sharon Weldon from Imperial College London.

Music is currently played in approximately 50-70 percent of surgical operations performed worldwide.

In a new study of 20 operations conducted in Britain, repeated requests--for example, for a surgical instrument--were five times more likely to occur in surgeries with music than in those without.

The findings suggest that music during surgery can lead to increased tensions due to frustration at ineffective communication.

In addition, patient safety could potentially be affected due to miscommunication.

The findings appeared in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.