TOWARDS THE ACOUSTICAL CHARACTERISATION OF AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

摘要

The intensive care unit (ICU) has long been considered a noisy environment, which impacts negatively on patient recovery, safe care and staff wellbeing. Despite this, sound pressure levels (SPL) appear to be increasing linearly by approximately 0.4dBA per annum. The noise in an ICU is generated by the multiplicity of supportive equipment necessary for patient management, clinical procedures, the vast array of staff who provide care and treatment as well as the housekeeping activities required to maintain a busy workplace. Staff conversation, equipment alarms, equipment and treatment are cited as most disturbing. Alarms are fitted to all critical equipment, often at varying levels of alert in a bid to increase patient safety, although doubt has been raised about their efficacy due to the phenomenon of alarm fatigue.