Table 1 Summary of the studies on the influence of noise upon intensive care unit patients' sleep
Author and year published | Method | Number of patients | Mean age of patients | ICU type | Duration of ICU stay (days) | Main noise sources | Number ventilated | Is noise the most significant cause of sleep disruption? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hilton, 1976 [24] | Polysomnography + continuous researcher observation over 24 h + patient interview/recall | 10 | 34–81 | 1 respiratory ICU in Canada | Not stated | Staff communication; environment (phone, tap, chair, side rails, bottles, metal) | Not stated | Yes |
Jones et al., 1979 [17] | Questionnaire | 100 | Not stated | 1 ICU in UK | 1.65 | Noise from staff, equipment, and other Patients | 22/100 | No |
Aaron et al., 1996 [25] | Polysomnography + noise monitoring over 24 h | 6 | 66.8 ± 2.8 | 1 intermediate respiratory care unit in USA | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
Cureton-Lane and Fontaine, 1997 [26] | Researcher observation + noise monitoring less than 24 h | 9 | 4.7 ± 3.51 | 1 pediatric ICU in USA | 2.3 | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
Freedman et al., 1999 [18] | Questionnaire | 203 | 58.6 ± 15.4 | 1 cardiac care unit, 1 cardiac intermediate, 1 medical, and 1 surgical in USA | 8.6 ± 17.5 | Talking and telemetry alarms | 32/203 | No |
Freedman et al., 2001 [20] | Polysomnography + noise measurement over 24 h | 22 | 61 ± 16 | 1 medical ICU and1 ICU in USA | 18 ± 20 | Not stated | 20/22 | No |
Frisk and Nordstrom, 2003 [21] | RCSQ | 31 | 59 | 1 ICU in Sweden | 2.86 | Noise from fellow patients | Not stated | No |
Gabor et al., 2003 [22] | Polysomnography + noise measurement over 24 h | 7 patients + 6 healthy subjects | 56.7 ± 19.2 | Patients in CCU; healthy subject in medical/surgical ICU, in Canada | 48.3 ± 40.2 | Talking, alarm | All | No |
Ugras and Oztekin, 2007 [23] | Questionnaire | 88 | 46.57 | 1 neurosurgery ICU in Turkey | 2.83 | Alarm | Not stated | No |
Richardson et al., 2007 [27] | Controlled clinical trial + questionnaire | 64 | Not stated | 1 CCU in UK | >1 | Staff talking, telephone, alarms | Not stated | Yes |
Hweidi, 2007 [28] | Questionnaire | 165 | 53.38 ± 9.76 | 3 ICU in Jordan | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |