Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026
10:38
Observational Study Protocol for Repeated Clinical Examination and Critical Care Ultrasonography Within the Simple Intensive Care Studies
Published on: January 16, 2019
Reducing Night-Time Sound Levels Through Bed-Level Quiet ICU Bundle: A Randomised Counterbalanced Crossover Study in
Wei Jun Dan Ong1,2, Adrian Ujin Yap3,4, Woon Hean Keenan Chong5
1College of Health Sciences, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Nursing in Critical Care
|August 12, 2026
Summary
Reducing intensive care unit (ICU) noise with a Quiet ICU bundle significantly lowered nocturnal acoustic burden. This intervention maintained crucial alarm visibility, offering a feasible strategy for quieter hospital environments.
Area of Science:
- Critical Care Medicine
- Environmental Health
- Patient Safety
Background:
- High night-time noise in intensive care units (ICUs) can impair alarm effectiveness and increase cognitive load.
- Previous studies on noise reduction in ICUs often lacked rigorous experimental designs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of a structured Quiet ICU bundle on reducing nocturnal noise levels.
- To determine if the intervention preserved the visibility of critical alarms for patient surveillance.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, randomized, counterbalanced crossover study in an adult ICU.
- The Quiet ICU bundle involved muting bedside alarms while ensuring central monitoring, alongside alarm hygiene and communication protocols.
- Acoustic monitoring measured equivalent continuous sound level (LAeq), maximum sound level (Lmax), and time above 80 dBA.
Main Results:
- The Quiet ICU bundle significantly reduced LAeq by -4.56 dBA, Lmax by -7.77 dBA, and time above 80 dBA by -2.43 minutes.
- The reduction in LAeq was noticeable and clinically relevant.
- Bedside alarms were rarely reactivated (1.8%), with no identified safety incidents.
Conclusions:
- A structured Quiet ICU bundle effectively reduces night-time noise in ICUs.
- The intervention preserves essential alarm visibility for clinical surveillance.
- This approach offers a feasible, low-resource strategy for noise reduction in ICUs with robust monitoring systems.
