infections, suggesting the surgical teams were distracted enough to be
noncompliant with aseptic processes. High noise levels in the OR
have also been associated with ineffective communication, dimin-
ished speech intelligibility, poor performance of complex tasks, poor
cognitive function and concentration, stress, fatigue and anxiety.
Turning down the volume
Noise levels can also be a contributing factor to a number of patient
safety events, including wrong-site surgery and retained surgical
objects. Escalating noise is a pervasive problem in today's ORs and an
underrated contributing factor to the never events that continue to
happen, so you need to develop a total systems approach to turning
down the volume during surgery.
• Get a baseline measurement. You can use sound level meters and
noise dosimeters to generate empirical data about the sound levels in
your ORs. One staff member might not even notice the sounds of her
working environment while another might not be able to concentrate
in the "din." Noise that's pleasant to one person — AC/DC blasting
over the OR's sound system — might be unbearable to someone else.
Objective data can help you decide if noise levels are exceeding a safe
threshold and determine if you need to address the issue.
Some noise meters alert staff with visual reminders when levels
reach a point that is unsafe or not conducive to communication and
concentration. Placing the meters in ORs and other patient care areas
is an effective way to provide staff with real-time feedback about the
noise they're producing and can help them grasp the importance of
reducing distractions during the care they provide.
• Address noise producers. Minimize conversations about other
patients and other procedures or subjects that are unrelated to sur-
gery. It's also important to discuss only essential aspects of the cur-
Safety
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