Noise Reduction in the Operating Room
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Elizabeth Coble Pulliam (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Angela Kabbe
Abstract: The operating room is often seen as the noisiest clinical environment, with noise directly affecting the cognitive efficiency and communication of anesthesia providers. Studies show that noise levels are higher during emergence from anesthesia, a critical time for patient safety. The sterile cockpit, a concept developed by the aviation industry, may be effective to reduce noise in healthcare. The purpose of this project is to reduce noise levels in the operating room during emergence from anesthesia by creating a sterile cockpit. Pre-intervention noise levels were collected during emergence from general anesthesia cases using the NIOSH iPhone application. Staff were educated about the sterile cockpit concept, and a sterile cockpit was implemented in the operating room during emergence from general anesthesia cases. Post-intervention noise levels were collected. The results showed a reduction in average sound levels with the intervention, with no change in peak sound levels. The results of this quality improvement project suggest that the use of a sterile cockpit may be an effective tool to decrease noise levels in the operating room. Future studies may consider choosing perception of noise as an additional outcome measure as noise levels perceived by the anesthetist during emergence may reflect how a decrease in noise from the intervention impacts the practitioner.
Noise Reduction in the Operating Room
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Created on 2/8/2023
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2022
- Keywords
- noise reduction in the operating room, noise reduction during anesthesia emergence, noise reduction, noise reduction in anesthesia, distraction-free operating room, distraction-free anesthesia, operating room, sterile cockpit, sterile cockpit in healthcare, no-interruption zones in healthcare