Level and Noise Sources in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a Reference Hospital/Nivel y fuentes de ruido en la Unidad de Cuidado Intensivo Neonatal de un hospital de referencia/Nivel e fontes de ruido na Unidade de Tratamento Intensivo Neonatal de um hospital de referencia

• Published in: Investigación y educación en enfermería 2020-09, Vol.38 (3)
• Main Authors: Hernandez-Salazar, Alma Damaris, Gallegos-Ma, Reyes-Hernandez, Jaime
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0120-5307
• DOI: 10.17533/udea.iee.v38n3e13.

Objective. Determine the level of environmental and periauricular noise in preterm babies and identify the sources generating noise in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit--NICU--of a reference hospital in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Methods. Cross-sectional and analytic study of the measurement of the level of environmental noise in five critical areas of the NICU, according with the method of measurement of noise from fixed sources by the Mexican Official Norm and periauricular at 20 cm from the preterm patient's pinna. The measurements were carried out during three representative days of a week, morning, evening and nocturnal shifts. A STEREN 400 sound level meter was used with 30 to 130 dB range of measurement and a rate of 0.5 s. Results. The average level of periauricular noise (64.5 [+ or -] 1.91dB) was higher than the environmental noise (63.3 [+ or -] 1.74 dB) during the days and shifts evaluated. The principal noise sources were activities carried out by the staff, like the nursing change of shift and conversations by the staff, which raised the level continuously or intermittently, operation of vital support equipment (alarms) and incidences (clashing of baby bottles and moving furnishings) produced sudden rises of noise. Conclusions. Environmental and periauricular noise in NICU exceeds by two and almost three times the 45 dB during the day and 35 dB at night from the norm in hospitals. It is necessary to implement permanent noise reduction programs to prevent sequelae in the preterm infant and professional burnout in the nursing staff Descriptors: intensive care units, neonatal; infant, premature; noise measurement; interior design and furnishings. Objetivo. Determinar el nivel de ruido ambiental y periauricular en prematuros e identificar las fuentes generadoras de ruido en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales--UCIN--de un hospital de referencia de San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Metodos. Estudio transversal y analitico de la medicion del nivel de ruido ambiental en cinco areas criticas de la UCIN de acuerdo al metodo de medicion de ruido de fuentes fijas de la Norma Oficial Mexicana y periauricular a 20 cm del pabellon auricular del prematuro. Las mensuraciones se realizaron en tres dias representativos de una semana, turnos matutino, vespertino y nocturno. Se utilizo un sonometro STEREN 400 con rango de medicion de 30 a 130 dB y una frecuencia de 0.5 s. Resultados. El promedio del nivel de ruido periauricular (64.5 [+ or -] 1.91dB) fue mayor que e