%0 Journal Article
%T SoundEar noise warning devices cause a sustained reduction in ambient noise in adult critical care
%A Anna Herbert
%A Jacqueline Baldwin
%A James Edward Blundell
%A Nicholas Russell Plummer
%A Rachel Howarth
%A Shondipon Laha
%J Journal of the Intensive Care Society
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/1751143718767773
%X Elevated sound levels in critical care are associated with sleep deprivation and an increased incidence of delirium. We aimed to determine whether a sound-activated visual noise display meter could cause a sustained reduction in sound levels overnight in an adult critical care unit. Sound levels were recorded overnight for eight days before and after the introduction of a visual noise display meter, with a further eight days recorded four months later after continued use of the visual noise display meter. Median ambient sound levels were significantly reduced from 57.4£¿dB by 3.9£¿dB, with a sustained reduction of 3.6£¿dB from baseline after four months of the device operating. Peak ambient sound levels had a small but significant reduction from 66.0£¿dB by 0.7£¿dB, with a sustained reduction of 0.8£¿dB after four months. Sound-activated visual noise display meters can be effective in providing a sustained reduction in ambient sound overnight in adult critical care units, which would appear to be driven by behavioural change
%K Delirium
%K noise
%K sleep
%K sleep promotion
%K sound
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1751143718767773