Journal article
Identifying determinants of noise in a medical intensive care unit
Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene, Vol.15(12), pp.810-817
12/2018
DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2018.1515491
PMCID: PMC6372309
PMID: 30193088
Abstract
Continuous and intermittent exposure to noise elevates stress, increases blood pressure, and disrupts sleep among patients in hospital intensive care units. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a behavior-based intervention to reduce noise and to identify determinants of noise in a medical intensive care unit. Staff were trained for 6 weeks to reduce noise during their activities in an effort to keep noise levels below 55 dBA during the day and below 50 dBA at night. One-min noise levels were logged continuously in patient rooms 8 weeks before and after the intervention. Noise levels were compared by room position, occupancy status, and time of day. Noise levels from flagged days (>60 dBA for >10 hr) were correlated with activity logs. The intervention was ineffective, with noise frequently exceeding project goals during the day and night. Noise levels were higher in rooms with the oldest heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system, even when patient rooms were unoccupied. Of the flagged days, the odds of noise over 60 dBA occurring was 5.3 dBA higher when high-flow respiratory support devices were in use compared to times with low-flow devices in use (OR = 5.3, 95% CI = 5.0-5.5). General sources, like the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system, contribute to high baseline noise and high-volume (>10 L/min) respiratory-support devices generate additional high noise (>60 dBA) in Intensive Care Unit patient rooms. This work suggests that engineering controls (e.g., ventilation changes or equipment shielding) may be more effective in reducing noise in hospital intensive care units than behavior modification alone.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Identifying determinants of noise in a medical intensive care unit
- Creators
- Kathryn J Crawford - a Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health , University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaLindsey A Barnes - b Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine , University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaThomas M Peters - a Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health , University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaJeffrey Falk - a Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health , University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaBrian K Gehlbach - b Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine , University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene, Vol.15(12), pp.810-817
- DOI
- 10.1080/15459624.2018.1515491
- PMID
- 30193088
- PMCID
- PMC6372309
- NLM abbreviation
- J Occup Environ Hyg
- ISSN
- 1545-9624
- eISSN
- 1545-9632
- Publisher
- England
- Grant note
- T42 OH008491 / NIOSH CDC HHS UL1 TR002537 / NCATS NIH HHS U54 TR001356 / NCATS NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/2018
- Academic Unit
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Neurology; Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine; Occupational and Environmental Health; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984013108502771
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