The Influence of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Design on Sound Level
| Autor: | Chao-Huei Chen, Teh-Ming Wang, Chih-Chao Wu, Hsiu-Jung Huang, Hsin-Li Chen, Chia-Chi Hsu |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2009 |
| Předmět: |
noise
Pediatrics medicine.medical_specialty Neonatal intensive care unit Acoustics design Mean difference Intensive Care Units Neonatal Intensive care Humans Medicine Hospital Design and Construction Pediatrics Perinatology and Child Health Sound (geography) Decibel geography geography.geographical_feature_category business.industry Continuous monitoring lcsh:RJ1-570 Infant Newborn lcsh:Pediatrics infant Noise QUIET Pediatrics Perinatology and Child Health business intensive care unit neonatal |
| Zdroj: | Pediatrics and Neonatology, Vol 50, Iss 6, Pp 270-274 (2009) |
| ISSN: | 1875-9572 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/s1875-9572(09)60076-0 |
| Popis: | Background Excessive noise in nurseries has been found to cause adverse effects in infants, especially preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The NICU design may influence the background sound level. We compared the sound level in two differently designed spaces in one NICU. We hypothesized that the sound level in an enclosed space would be quieter than in an open space. Methods Sound levels were measured continuously 24 hours a day in two separate spaces at the same time, one enclosed and one open. Sound-level meters were placed near beds in each room. Sound levels were expressed as decibels, A-weighted (dBA) and presented as hourly L eq , L max , L 10 , and L 90 . Results The hourly L eq in the open space (50.8-57.2 dB) was greater than that of the enclosed space (45.9-51.7 dB), with a difference of 0.4-10.4 dB, and a mean difference of 4.5 dB ( p 10 , L 90 , and L max in the open space also exceeded that in the enclosed space ( p Conclusion The sound level measured in the enclosed space was quieter than in the open space. The design of bed space should be taken into consideration when building a new NICU. Besides the design of NICU architecture, continuous monitoring of sound level in the NICU is important to maintain a quiet environment. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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