Noise reduction in the ICU: a best practice implementation project

Sleep deprivation is a relevant problem among patients hospitalized in ICUs. Further, noise is the most critical disruptive factor according to patients.

To implement scientific evidence-based best practices for noise control in an adult ICU.

This was an evidence-based implementation project of best practices in noise control, conducted in a high-complexity hospital's adult ICU. The intervention consisted of three steps: baseline audit and identification of barriers, implementation of best practices, and a follow-up audit.

No compliance with best practices was detected in the baseline audit. After the implementation phase, the unit reached compliance levels of 78-88% for most of these criteria only one criterion related to noise level did not match the expected compliance.

Adherence to best practices regarding noise control was satisfactory, achieving more than 70% compliance in the six audit criteria. Only the noise level did not reach the threshold recommended by the WHO - a difficulty reported in other studies.

Best practices related to noise control are essential for managing sleep deprivation in ICUs and include changes in the behaviour of involved professionals.