Noise in the neonatal intensive care unit: A new approach to examining acoustic events
2018
Noise and Health
Journal Article
Issue 95
Volume 20
Pages 121
Author(s): Smith, S. W., Ortmann, A. J., Clark, W. W.
Added August 2018
Noise in cesarean deliveries: A comprehensive analysis of noise environments in the labor and delivery operating room and evaluation of a visual alarm noise abatement program
2023
American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology MFM
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 5
Pages 100887
Author(s): Whitham, M. D., Casali, J. G., Smith, G. K., Allihien, A. L., Wright, B. W., Barter, S. M., Urban, A. R., Dudley, D. J., Fuller, R. R.
Added February 2023
Noise exposure and quality of life among nurses
2022
Workplace Health & Safety
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 70
Pages 207-219
Author(s): McCullagh, M. C., Xu, J., Dickson, V. V., Tan, A., Lusk, S. L.
Research shows that the effects of high-noise environments extend beyond hearing damage. Excessive noise levels can negatively impact cardiovascular health, mental health, sleep, and lead to tinnitus. Healthcare work environments are inherently noisy due to paging systems, telephones, monitor alarms, treatment equipment, and ice machines.
Added November 2022
Noise Levels in an Urban Hospital and Workers' Subjective Responses
1995
Archives of Environmental Health
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 50
Pages 247-251
Author(s): Bayo, M. V., Garcia, A. M., Armando, G.
Noise has become a major environmental problem as well as a public health concern, resulting in a wide range of negative consequences. Despite healthcare facilities’ attempts to foster favorable environments to assist in patient recovery and staff working conditions, noise levels are often higher than desirable in and around hospitals. There is a need to identify the main noisy areas and noise sources and evaluate the hospital staff’s reactions to noise.
Added April 2014
Noise Levels in a General Surgical Ward: a descriptive study
2005
Journal of Clinical Nursing
Journal Article
Author(s): Christensen, M.
The noise levels in many UK hospitals exceed those recommended by the World Health Organization, yet are so prevalent that healthcare providers tend to think of them as just part of the working environment. However, current ward-based research is dated, perhaps indicating that the control of noise in these areas is perceived as insurmountable.
Added January 2014
Noise and related events in neonatal intensive care unit
2001
Acta Paediatrical Taiwanica
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 42
Pages 212-217
Author(s): Chang, Y. J., Lin, C. H., Lin, L. H.
Noise contributes to environmental stress to premature infants, who often spend long periods of time in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Some research indicates that noise contributes to higher incidences of hearing loss, as well as cardiovascular, respirator, endocrine, and behavioral deficits. Some of the noise might be reduced by studying different aspects of NICU settings (i.e., wards, personnel, equipment, and procedures).
Added April 2014
Noise, stress, and annoyance in a pediatric intensive care unit
2003
Critical Care Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 31
Pages 113-119
Author(s): Morrison, W.E., Haas, E.C., Shaffner, D.H., Garrett, E.S., Fackler, J.C.
To measure and describe hospital noise and determine whether noise can be correlated with nursing stress measured by questionnaire, salivary amylase, and heart rate.
Added October 2012
Nighttime Noise Issues That Interrupt Sleep After Cardiac Surgery
2011
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 26
Pages 88–95
Author(s): Spence, J., Murray, T., Tang, A. S., Butler, R. S., Albert, N. M.
Hospital unit environments have excessive environmental ambient sound levels. In cardiac-surgical, general, and neonatal intensive care units, sound levels were commonly more than 50 dBand spiked to 80 dB and 100.9 dB. Common sounds associated with routine care in a postsurgical intermediate care unit have a decibel level in the range of heavy truck traffic (about 80 dB). Noise influences the physiological state of sleep. It is important to reduce nurse-generated and environmental noise when patients are trying to sleep.
Added January 2014
Low stimulus environments: reducing noise levels in continuing care
2016
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 5
Pages 1-4
Author(s): Brown, J., Fawzi, W., Shah, A., Joyce, M., Holt, G., McCarthy, C., Stevenson, C., Marange, R., Shakes, J., Solomon-Ayeh, K.
This article highlights a project that aimed to reduce levels of intrinsic background noise on an adult mental health ward. Following intervention, the ward was able to decrease the background noise decibel level from 60dB to 53dB (on average).
Added November 2016
Nurses’ Perception of Noise Levels in Hospitals in Spain
2008
Journal of Nursing Administration
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 38
Pages 220-222
Author(s): del Pilar Marques Sanchez, M., Calle Pardo, A. P., Calvo Sanchez, D., Nunez Gelado, Y. & Mompart Garcia, M. P.
Even though we know that noise has an impact on patients, how noise impacts the work environment of nurses is not well understood. In general, relevant studies show that the worse types of noise for patients are background noise, vibrations, screen alarms, and other people talking. Nurse researchers in Spain recently completed the first phase of a multiphase study to identify the most annoying noises in the practice environment.
Added January 2016
Effect of noise on auditory processing in the operating room
2013
Journal of the American College of Surgeons
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 216
Pages 933-8
Author(s): Way, T. J., Long, A., Weihing, J., Ritchie, R., Jones, R., Bush, M., Shinn, J. B.
Noise in operating rooms (ORs), defined as any unwanted sound impeding on normal hearing, can be grouped into two categories: equipment-related noise and staff-created noise. Equipment-related noise can come from anesthesia equipment and alarms, suction devices, or surgical instruments such as cautery devices, dissection tools, and drills. Staff-created noise can come from opening and closing doors, conversations, overhead pages, and music. All of these noise sources contribute to the average ambient noise in ORs, which is 65 dBA with peak levels reaching120 dBA.
Added September 2014
Sleep Disruption due to Hospital Noises: A Prospective Evaluation
2012
Annals of Internal Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 157
Pages 170-179
Author(s): Buxton, O. M., Ellenbogen, J. M., Wang, W., Carballeira, A., O'Connor, S., Cooper, D., Gordhandas, A. J., McKinney, S. M., Solet, J. M.
Hospital noises can have a negative effect on a patient’s sleep pattern. Sleep disruption is associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, impaired immunity, and elevated stress. Limited information is available on the connection between specific sounds and sleep physiology.
Added September 2014
Neonatal Response to Control of Noise Inside the Incubator
2001
Pediatric Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 27
Pages 600-606
Author(s): Johnson, A. N.
Premature infants are at risk for long-term neurologic, cognitive, and behavioral problems. Therefore, supporting these medically fragile infants as they adapt to life outside the womb by decreasing possible environmental stressors, such as noise, is important. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee of Environmental Hazards recommends that neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) sound levels below 45 dB. Yet these babies are often in incubators, which are associated with higher sound levels from the equipment and surrounding environment.
Added January 2014
Clinical review: The impact of noise on patients’ sleep and the effectiveness of noise reduction strategies in intensive care units
2009
Critical Care
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 13
Pages 208–216
Author(s): Xie, H., Kang, J., Mills, G. H.
The World Health Organization recommends that noise levels in hospitals stay below 30 dBA at night to allow for better rest, yet excessive noise is prevalent in many healthcare settings, including intensive care units (ICUs). Research indicates that, since the 1960s, noise levels in hospitals increased by an average of 0.38 dBA (day) and 0.42 dBA (night) per year. Other research reports that the noise level in ICUs ranges from 50 to 75 dBA, with a night peak level soaring to 103 dBA. It’s easy to see why sleep disturbance is common among these vulnerable patients.
Added February 2014
Feasibility of noise reduction by a modification in ICU environment
2016
Physiological Measurement
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 37
Pages 1041-1055
Author(s): Luetz, A., Weiss, B., Penzel, T., Fietze, I., Glos, M, Wernecke, K. D., Bluemke, B., Dehn, A. M., Willemeit, T., Finke, A., Spies, C.
Noise can adversely affect sleep quality, which is important to the recovery of ICU patients. Two ICU rooms in a German hospital were re-designed with the objective of reducing noise. The authors conducted a study wherein they examined the impact of these modifications on sound pressure levels (SPL) in these rooms.
Added December 2017
Strategies for reduction of noise levels in ICUs
1992
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 10
Pages 22-6
Author(s): White, A., Burgess, M.
Added October 2012
Noise pollution in the anaesthetic and intensive care environment
1994
Anaesthesia
Journal Article
Issue 11
Volume 49
Pages 982-6
Author(s): Kam, P.C., Kam, A.C., Thompson, J.F.
Added October 2012
Noise exposure in the orthopaedic operating theatre: A significant health hazard
2003
ANZ Journal of Surgery
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 73
Pages 836-8
Author(s): Love, H.
Added October 2012
Environmental noise alters gastric myoelectrical activity: Effect of age
2007
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 13
Pages 403-407
Author(s): Castle, J.S., Xing, J.H., Warner, M.R., Korsten, M.A.
Added October 2012
The harmful effects of noise in a children's ward
1985
Australian Paediatricians Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 21
Pages 101-3
Author(s): Keipert, J.A.
Added October 2012
