Noise level in a neonatal intensive care unit in Santa Marta - Colombia

Noise Levels and Sleep in a Surgical ICU

Sleep is disturbed in critically ill patients and is a frequently overlooked complication. The aim of our study is to evaluate the impact of sound levels in our surgical ICU on our patients’ sleep on the first night of admission. The study was performed in a tertiary care university hospital, in a 12-bed surgical ICU. Over a 6-week period, a total of 148 adult, non-intubated and non-sedated patients completed the study. During this six-week period, sound levels were continuously measured using a type II sound level meter. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Richards–Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ), which was completed both by patients and nurses on the first morning after admission. A non-significant correlation was found between night sound levels and sleep quality in the overall sample (r = −1.83, 95% CI; −4.54 to 0.88, p = 0.19). After multivariable analysis, a correlation was found between higher sound levels at night and lower RCSQ evaluations (r = −3.92, 95% CI; −7.57 to −0.27, p = 0.04). We found a significant correlation between lower sound levels at night and a better quality of sleep in our patients; for each 1 dBA increase in LAFeq sound levels at night, patients scored 3.92 points lower on the sleep questionnaire.

Environmental noise in hospitals: a systematic review

Environmental noise has been growing in recent years, causing numerous health problems. Highly sensitive environments such as hospitals deserve special attention, since noise can aggravate patients' health issues and impair the performance of healthcare professionals. This work consists of a systematic review of scientific articles describing environmental noise measurements taken in hospitals between the years 2015 and 2020. The researchers started with a consultation of three databases, namely, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The results indicate that for the most part, these studies are published in journals in the fields of medicine, engineering, environmental sciences, acoustics, and nursing and that most of their authors work in the fields of architecture, engineering, medicine, and nursing. These studies, which are concentrated in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, use as reference values sound levels recommended by the World Health Organization. L_eq measured in hospital environments showed daytime values ranging from 37 to 88.6 dB (A) and nighttime values of 38.7 to 68.8 dB (A). L_eq values for outdoor noise were 74.3 and 56.6 dB (A) for daytime and nighttime, respectively. The measurements were taken mainly inside hospitals, prioritizing more sensitive departments such as intensive care units. There is a potential for growth in work carried out in this area, but research should also include discussions about guidelines for improvement measures aimed at reducing noise in hospitals.

The evaluation of in-chamber sound levels during hyperbaric oxygen applications: Results of 41 centres

INTRODUCTION

Noise has physical and psychological effects on humans. Recommended exposure limits are exceeded in many hospital settings; however, information about sound levels in hyperbaric oxygen treatment chambers is lacking. This study measured in-chamber sound levels during treatments in Turkish hyperbaric centres.

METHODS

Sound levels were measured using a sound level meter (decibel meter). All chambers were multiplace with similar dimensions and shapes. Eight measurements were performed in each of 41 chambers; three during compression, three during decompression, and two at treatment pressure, one during chamber ventilation (flushing) and one without ventilation. At each measurement a sound sample was collected for 25 seconds and A-weighted equivalent (LA_eq) and C-weighted peak (LC_peak) levels were obtained. Recorded values were evaluated in relation to sound level limits in regulations.

RESULTS

The highest sound level measured in the study was 100.4 dB(A) at treatment pressure while ventilation was underway and the lowest was 40.5 dB(A) at treatment pressure without ventilation. Most centres had sound levels between 70 dB and 85 dB throughout the treatment. Ventilation caused significant augmentation of noise.

CONCLUSIONS

The chambers were generally safe in terms of noise exposure. Nevertheless, hyperbaric chambers can be very noisy environments so could pose a risk for noise-related health problems. Therefore, they should be equipped with appropriate noise control systems. Silencers are effective in reducing noise in chambers. Thus far, hyperbaric noise research has focused on chambers used for commercial diving. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate noise in hospital-based chambers during medical treatments.