Health Care Louder than Ever

Monday, 25 April 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Beep. Beep. Buzz. Ding. Health care is louder than ever these days, says the Chicago Tribune, a situation that could potentially have a negative effect on patients. Sound levels are almost double—72 decibels instead of 40—what recommendations say they should be and a crop of new studies say the extra noise causes stress, disrupts sleep and contributes to medical mistakes and “alarm fatigue.” High-tech machines are partly to blame for the amplified noise levels but so are more basic things, like a hospital’s design: “Porous or fuzzy materials rarely are used to absorb energy or deaden space in health care settings because they can harbor microorganisms.”