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Does hospital noise disturb patients?

Does hospital noise disturb patients? Noise is measured in decibels on a logarithmic scale expressing a ratio between a particular sound pressure;to a reference level (0 dB): measured air pressure (Pa) 1 dB=20xlogl0 20 tPa (smallest air pressure perceived by 50% adults) Subjectively, an increase of 10 dB makes a sound twice as loud. Filters reduce the response to low frequency noise, and the resultant "weighted" scale is expressed in dB(A) units. A whisper is therefore recorded at about 20 dB(A), light traffic at 45 dB(A), and a telephone at 60 dB(A). Noise levels recommended for hospital wards in the United States are less than 45 dB(A) during the day and 35 dB(A) at night.' We measured noise levels in several wards overnight. Methods and results Using a graphic recorder (CEL-160) we measured the background noise level and the number of minutes during which there was a noise registering >50 dB(A) from 2230 to 0630. Consecutive recordings were also made with a noise average meter (CEL-144), which indicated the average noise over the eight hours on a digital display. Noise levels were measured once in each of six general medical wards and four times in both the acute admitting and psychiatric wards. Statistical analysis of the graphic recordings was by analysis of variance. We assessed the sleep patterns and attitudes to hospital noise of patients in the six bedded bay closest to the nursing station by questionnaire on the morning after the overnight recording. The attitudes of nursing staff to noise, and suggestions on methods of reducing noise, were sought by questionnaire at the end of the study. In the general medical wards a noise registering >50 dB (A) occurred in 113-387 minutes out of the total of 480 minutes with a mean (SEM) of 212 (40) minutes. In the acute and psychiatric wards the ranges were 193-251 and 11-26 minutes and the means 217 (14) and 20 (9) minutes-respectively (figure). Thus there was significantly less noise (p<001) in the psychiatric than the general and acute medical wards; the general and acute medical wards did not differ significantly from each other.