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Table 2 Sound levels averaged over 24 hoursa

From: An investigation of sound levels on intensive care units with reference to the WHO guidelines

Location and day

Central station

Adjacent to patient

John Radcliffe Hospital Adult ICU weekday

58.4 dB

59.7 dB

John Radcliffe Hospital Adult ICU weekend

59.1 dB

59.5 dB

Royal Berkshire Hospital ICU weekday

58.7 dB

59.9 dB

Royal Berkshire Hospital ICU weekend

57.7 dB

58.5 dB

Wycombe General Hospital ICU weekday

52.4 dB

55.4 dB

Wycombe General Hospital ICU weekend

51.3 dB

54.1 dB

John Radcliffe Neurosciences ICU weekday

58.0 dB

58.8 dB

Churchill Hospital Adult ICU weekend

55.7 dB

55.4 dB

  1. adB, decibel. Sound levels averaged over 24 hours for each site. At the John Radcliffe Hospital, the Royal Berkshire Hospital and Wycombe General Hospital, two recordings were measured: on a weekday day and night and on a weekend day and night. Only one recording was taken at the Neurosciences ICU and the Churchill Hospital ICU in Oxford.