Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026
Determining the Likelihood of Variant Pathogenicity Using Amino Acid-level Signal-to-Noise Analysis of Genetic Variation
Published on: January 16, 2019
Effectiveness of a visual noise warning system on noise levels in a surgical ICU: A quality improvement programme
Maria Guisasola-Rabes1, Berta Solà-Enriquez, Andrés M Vélez-Pereira
1From the Anaesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Department for Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain (MG-R, BS-E, MdeN) and Environmental Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia (AMV-P).
Background:
The effects of noise are harmful to patients in the ICU environment, and the latter are particularly noisy places. High noise levels seem to be a factor in sleep disturbance, which can, in turn, result in increased morbidity.
Local Problem:
High noise levels are a recognised problem in ICUs worldwide.
Objective(S):
The goal was to estimate the effect of a visual noise-warning system on noise levels in a surgical ICU before and after its implementation.
Design:
A quality improvement initiative.
Setting:
A 12-bedded surgical ICU in a tertiary care university hospital.
Patients:
A total of 148 adult nonintubated and nonsedated patients completed the study, during a 6-week period.
Intervention:
Noise levels were continuously recorded using a Type II sound level meter for 6 weeks. The study was divided into three phases. The first 2 weeks, baseline noise levels were measured (phase I). In week 3 of the study, a visual noise warning system (SoundEar II) that changed colour depending on noise levels within the ICU was installed and implemented (phase II). The alarm system was set to light up green at levels below 55 dBA, orange at levels between 55 and 60 dBA and red at levels above 60 dBA. The device was switched off at the beginning of week 5 and the sound level meter continued recording noise levels for another 2 weeks (phase III).
Results:
Mean night-time noise level was 55.98 dBA in the preintervention phase, 54.14 dB during the intervention, and 54.98 dBA in the postintervention phase. Mean noise level was reduced statistically significantly by 1.35 dBA, and there was a sustained reduction of 0.86 dBA from the baseline noise level 2 weeks after SoundEar II was switched off.
Conclusion:
Visual noise warning systems can be effective in achieving a reduction in noise levels in critical care units.
Related Concept Videos
01:19High-Level and Low-Level Awareness
01:19Quality of Water
01:05Quality Control
Quality control helps track data, visualize trends, and identify variations, making it easier to detect deviations that may affect the accuracy of an analysis. One way to do this is by generating a quality control chart, which...
01:19Quality Assurance
01:29Leveling Effect
01:09Levels of Organization
Molecules Are Composed of Atoms, and Biomolecules Are Assembled from Molecules:
The most basic levels include atoms, molecules, and biomolecules. Atoms, the smallest unit of ordinary matter, are composed of a nucleus and electrons. Molecules...