NICU Sound Environment and the Potential Problems for Caregivers

Thomas, Karen A.; Martín, Patricia A.

doi:10.1038/sj.jp.7200435

Cited by 32 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 25 publications

(33 reference statements)

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“…It may generally be considered a high pressure working environment. Previous intensive and acute care unit research related to noise has been conducted in neonatal units, [29][30][31][32][33][34][35] pediatric units, 2,24 coronary or cardiac units, 15,16,27,36 respiratory or medical units, 37,38 general surgical units, 39,40 and unspecified units, [41][42][43] but few have examined a dedicated neurological unit. 44 The ICU examined has several individual rooms containing two patients each.…”

Section: A Icu Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing noise and perceived work environment in a neurological intensive care unit

Ryherd¹,

Waye²,

Ljungkvist

2008

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

147

114

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The hospital sound environment is complex. Alarms, medical equipment, activities, and ventilation generate noise that may present occupational problems as well as hinder recovery among patients. In this study, sound measurements and occupant evaluations were conducted in a neurological intensive care unit. Staff completed questionnaires regarding psychological and physiological reactions to the sound environment. A-weighted equivalent, minimum, and maximum (L(Aeq),L(AFMin),L(AFMax)) and C-weighted peak (L(CPeak)) sound pressure levels were measured over five days at patient and staff locations. Acoustical descriptors that may be explored further were investigated, including level distributions, restorative periods, and spectral content. Measurements near the patients showed average L(Aeq) values of 53-58 dB. The mean length of restorative periods (L(Aeq) below 50 dB for more than 5 min) was 9 and 13 min for day and night, respectively. Ninety percent of the time, the L(AFMax) levels exceeded 50 dB and L(CPeak) exceeded 70 dB. Dosimeters worn by the staff revealed higher noise levels. Personnel perceived the noise as contributing to stress symptoms. Compared to the majority of previous studies, this study provides a more thorough description of intensive care noise and aids in understanding how the sound environment may be disruptive to occupants.

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Section: A Icu Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing noise and perceived work environment in a neurological intensive care unit

Ryherd¹,

Waye²,

Ljungkvist

2008

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

147

114

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, little work has been done to characterize and reduce hospital noise even though it routinely ranks among the top complaints of hospital patients, visitors, and staff. 3,4 There are a small number of hospital noise surveys in the open literature, [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] and some studies that specifically consider intensive care units, 14,16,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] operating rooms, [36][37][38][39][40][41][42] and nurseries. [43][44][45][46][47][48] A few address tools found in hospi...…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Noise levels in Johns Hopkins Hospital

Busch‐Vishniac

West²,

Barnhill³

et al. 2005

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

315

190

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This article presents the results of a noise survey at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Results include equivalent sound pressure levels (L(eq)) as a function of location, frequency, and time of day. At all locations and all times of day, the L(eq) indicate that a serious problem exists. No location is in compliance with current World Health Organization Guidelines, and a review of objective data indicates that this is true of hospitals throughout the world. Average equivalent sound levels are in the 50-60 dB(A) range for 1 min, 1/2, and 24 h averaging time periods. The spectra are generally flat over the 63-2000 Hz octave bands, with higher sound levels at lower frequencies, and a gradual roll off above 2000 Hz. Many units exhibit little if any reduction of sound levels in the nighttime. Data gathered at various hospitals over the last 45 years indicate a trend of increasing noise levels during daytime and nighttime hours. The implications of these results are significant for patients, visitors, and hospital staff.

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“…Factors related to setting that may influence outcomes include the location where the intervention was delivered (e.g., a patient’s room vs. post-operative recovery room), as well as the privacy level and amount of ambient sound in that location. For example, high levels of environmental noise or diminished speech privacy can increase distress and impede communication (Christensen, 2007; Joseph, 2007; Thomas & Martin, 2000). For example, differences in outcomes may occur with a music imagery intervention targeting pre-operative anxiety when it is delivered in a patient’s private room, where there is little to no ambient sound, compared to the same intervention delivered in a pre-operative area with several beds separated only by curtains and moderate ambient sounds coming from televisions, family/staff conversations, and monitoring equipment.…”

Section: Recommendations For Music-based Intervention Reportingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reporting Guidelines for Music-Based Interventions

Robb¹,

Burns²,

Carpenter³

2011

Music and Medicine

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Music-based interventions are used to address a variety of problems experienced by individuals across the developmental lifespan (infants to elderly adults). In order to improve the transparency and specificity of reporting music-based interventions, a set of specific reporting guidelines is recommended. Recommendations pertain to reporting seven different components of music-based interventions including intervention theory, intervention content, intervention delivery schedule, interventionist, treatment fidelity, setting, and unit of delivery. Recommendations are intended to support CONSORT and TREND statements for transparent reporting of interventions while taking into account the variety, complexity, and uniqueness of music-based interventions.

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NICU Sound Environment and the Potential Problems for Caregivers

Cited by 32 publications

References 25 publications

Characterizing noise and perceived work environment in a neurological intensive care unit

Characterizing noise and perceived work environment in a neurological intensive care unit

Noise levels in Johns Hopkins Hospital

Reporting Guidelines for Music-Based Interventions

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