ABSTRACT
Xie H, Kang J, Mills GH.
Excessive noise is becoming a significant problem for
intensive care units (ICUs). This paper first reviews the impact of noise on
patients' sleep in ICUs. Five previous studies have demonstrated such impacts,
whereas six other studies have shown other factors to be more important. Staff
conversation and alarms are generally regarded as the most disturbing noises
for patients' sleep in ICUs. Most research in this area has focused purely on
noise level, but work has been very limited on the relationships between sleep
quality and other acoustic parameters, including spectrum and reverberation
time. Sound-absorbing treatment is a relatively effective noise reduction
strategy, whereas sound masking appears to be the most effective technique for
improving sleep. For future research, there should be close collaboration
between medical researchers and acousticians. (Crit Care. 2009;13(2):208. doi: 10.1186/cc7154. Epub 2009 Mar 9)
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