%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