By Martin Anderson
A&E Charge Nurse
North Middlesex University Hospitals
London, England

Many have never thought that noise can be critical to patients’ care, more so the thought of noise to be a problem in a modern hospital. As we develop the hospital industrial units this concept must not be ignored any longer. As a charge nurse in a busy London hospital, an online poll was created to ascertain patient’s views on the topic of noise in a hospital or clinical setting.

The simplest definition of noise that we have is “unwanted sound,” but that is highly subjective (Sharp, 2012). Noise is an audible acoustic energy that disturbs the physiological and psychological well being of people. Noise pollution has been escalating at such a high rate that it is now considered a major threat to the quality of human lives. In the past thirty years, noise has been increasing rapidly particularly in urban areas, due to the modern technological developments such as industry and transportation. These developments are urging legislators to organise and issue new rules and legislation to control noise pollution and protect people from its hazardous effects (Stansfeld and Matheson, 2003). The Environmental Agency in the UK best highlights the difference between sound and noise. They describe sound as a sensation detected by the ear as a result of pressure variations set up in the air by a vibrating source while noise is defined as unwanted sound or sound that is not desired by the recipient.  Although the various physical attributes of sound can be quantified, the subjective aspects of noise are much more difficult to assess.  The degree of annoyance and stress that can result from exposure to noise is almost impossible to quantify, since responses may vary widely between individuals. However in early as 1859, the importance of noise in health care has been recognised, as evidenced by a statement in 1859 by Florence Nightingale, “Unnecessary noise, then, is the most cruel absence of care which can be inflicted either on sick or well.” cited in Bailey, (1994).

People are affected by noise pollution every day. As one of the four major forms of pollution in the world, noise pollution reduces the quality of the urban environment and human health. It has been estimated that about 80 million people (approximately 20% of the population) in the European Union suffer from noise levels considered unacceptable (above 65 dB [decibels] in so-called “black areas”), while an additional 170 million people are living in “grey areas” exposed to noise levels between 55 and 65 dB (European Community, 2012).

From the definitions above it can be seen that not all sounds are noise and the definition of noise is conceptual. The normal audible frequency for young persons ranges from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The non audible frequencies come in two regions, the infrasonic region below 20 Hz and the ultrasonic region above 20 kHz (Marieb, 2006). The Environmental Agency (2004) illustrates typical sound levels in everyday situations.