Volume 6, Issue 1 (Winter 2020)                   JCCNC 2020, 6(1): 1-6 | Back to browse issues page


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Gholami N, Borimnejad L, Jafari R. The Effectiveness of Noise Reduction Interventions in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. JCCNC 2020; 6 (1) :1-6
URL: http://jccnc.iums.ac.ir/article-1-243-en.html
1- Department of Neonatal and Pediatric Nursing, School of Nursing & Midwifery , Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2- Nursing Care Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. , borimnejad.l@iums.ac.ir
3- Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medical, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran.
Abstract:   (2274 Views)
Background: Loud noise in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) has negative effects on the health and wellness of hospitalized preterm infants. Various technologies for the care of preterm infants, extensive therapeutic interventions, and communication between staff are among the causes of loud noise in these wards. This review article aims to evaluate the effectiveness of noise reduction interventions in NICUs.
Methods: A literature search was conducted 2012-2020 in Medline, Embase, CINAHL, SID IranDoc, and Magiran databases. The search words were preterm infant, noise, and neonatal intensive care unit. Interventional and quasi-experimental papers were included in this review. A total of 26 articles were analyzed regarding the noise levels, effects of noise enhancement, and noise reduction interventions. The exclusion criteria were duplicate texts, non-English/Persian articles, editorials, letters, patents, errata, meeting abstracts, and conference papers. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses methodology was followed to perform the review.
Results: The results showed that the sound levels in the NICUs were higher than those mentioned by the WHO standard. The study articles reported personnel training as an effective intervention in noise reduction. But even with the proper training, there were very few changes in the sound levels. The noise level had been reduced to 3-4 dB, and even increased in some cases due to the impossibility of changing the structure of the NICU and changing the existing devices.
Conclusion: Education is the most effective way to reduce noise. To make noise reduction possible, personnel training is essential as the first step. Sound levels must be measured to control the volume. NICUs should be designed with separate beds and acoustic incubators should be used. 
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● Despite many efforts and interventions conducted, the noise level in NICUs is still above the standard level.
● The most effective way to reduce noise is to provide continuous training to the personnel.
● To achieve sustainable results, changing culture is necessary. 
Plain Language Summary 
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of noise reduction methods in neonatal intensive care units. To achieve the goal, 26 interventional articles in English/Persian language were examined in a 10-year period. The results showed that the noise level in these units is higher than the standard. Most studies have focused on staff training. Studies have yielded conflicting results and in some cases, staff training was not enough to reduce noise. Therefore, there is a need to continue education for personnel and all clients in these units. The change in the physical structure and culture of the department staff helps to sustain the results of noise reduction measures. Future studies are needed to discover new solutions to this old problem.

Type of Study: Research | Subject: General
Received: 2019/08/10 | Accepted: 2019/12/25 | Published: 2020/02/1

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