To How Much Noise Are We Exposing Hospitalized Elderly Patients During Sleep?

Alves, Mariana; Távora, Catarina; Silva, João Freitas; Gómez, Nayive; Fonseca, Teresa

doi:10.20344/amp.16353

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The 24-hour recording found a LAeq of 60.6 dB (LA min 27.2 dB and LA max 102.0 dB). 7 To the human ear, the gain of 10dB is perceived as being twice as loud due to logarithmic scale of dB, 13 so in addition to the negative consequences for patients, working in a noisy ward day and night is also exhausting. 11 Hospitals, and particularly internal medicine departments, are frequently occupied by elderly and frail patients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 The World Health Organization's (WHO) guidelines on community noise levels recommend that noise levels in hospital wards should not exceed an average of 35 dB (similar to a quiet library) during daytime and should not exceed an average of 30 dB (similar to whispering) and a maximum of 40 dB at night-time. 2 However, both national and international studies [3][4][5][6][7] and the subjective perception of physicians suggest that these recommendations are not being met. This leads to worse sleep quality in inpatients and subsequently to an increasing number of complications -increased use of sedative drugs and drug iatrogenesis, extended hospital stay with associated complications (e.g., healthcare associated infections, pressure ulcers, immobility) and reduced capacity of acute disease recovery.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Night-Time Noise and Sleep Quality in an Internal Medicine Ward in Portugal: An Observational Study

et al. 2023

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Introduction: Hospitals should provide a quiet environment to promote patient healing and well-being. However, published data indicates that World Health Organization’s guidelines are frequently not met. The aim of the present study was to quantify night-time noise levels in an internal medicine ward and evaluate sleep quality, as well as the use of sedative drugs.Material and Methods: Prospective observational study in an acute internal medicine ward. Between April 2021 and January 2022, on random days, noise was recorded using a smartphone app (Apple® iOS, Decibel X). Night-time noise was recorded from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. During the same period, hospitalized patients were invited to respond to a questionnaire regarding their sleep quality.Results: A total of 59 nights were recorded. The average noise level recorded was 55 dB with a minimum of 30 dB and a maximum of 97 dB. Fifty-four patients were included. An intermediate score for night-time sleep quality (35.45 out of 60) and noise perception (5.26 out of 10) was reported. The main reasons for poor sleep were related to the presence of other patients (new admission, acute decompensation, delirium, and snoring), followed by equipment, staff noise and surrounding light. Nineteen patients (35%) were previous users of sedatives, and during hospitalization 41 patients (76%) were prescribed sedatives.Conclusion: The noise levels detected in the internal medicine ward were higher than the levels recommended by the World Health Organization. Most patients were prescribed sedatives during hospitalization.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%