Operating room noise: How noise affects patients during induction and/or emergence from anesthesia
Abstract
The presence of noise is an inevitable occurrence for any Operation Room (OR). Noise in the OR emanates from diverse sources including equipment movements, music, beeping pages, conversations, surgical instruments, lasers, machines and phones. With these noise comes its effects to both the OR operators and also the patients. However, the most susceptible persons to noise are pre and or post-operative patients owing to the fact that they have a contracted capability to cope with stressful conditions such as noise. According to the World Health Organization OR noise levels need to be capped at 30 dB (WHO, 2010). Such a recommendation on noise limits in the Operation Room for pre or post-operative patients under anesthesia is essential in averting adverse patient outcomes including plausible hearing loss, distraction, negative psychological shifts, tinnitus and patient anxiety. Consequentially, efforts aimed at reducing noise levels in the OR are effectual in ensuring an ideal surgical environment. This proposed study thus aims at addressing the topical issue on how noise affects patients during induction and/or emergence from anesthesia
Study design
The proposed study will involve a descriptive cross-sectional study. This study design is effectual over other epidemiological study designs since it can be conducted at one point and over a shorter time period (Kelsey & Gold, 2014). The study will thus reveal individual patient characteristics and effects of the topical issue on anesthetic patients. However, it will be hard to determine cause and effect since inherent patient conditions cannot be established to have preceded exposure to OR noise or not. Upon successful recruitment of study participants using random sampling, administration of research tools including questionnaires and personal interviews will be done to establish cause and effect.
Hypothesis
The proposed research’s hypothesis will focus on establishing whether Operation Room (OR) noise affects patients during induction and/or emergence from anesthesia. Consequentially, the study’s hypotheses will be;
Null Hypothesis (H 0)
Operation Room (OR) noise has no or little adverse effects on patients during induction and/or emergence from anesthesia.
Alternate Hypothesis (H1)
Operation Room (OR) noise has significant adverse effects on patients during induction and/or emergence from anesthesia.
Data collected
Data collected in the study will include;
A qualitative description of the types of noises in a typical OR and those experienced in the study sites
A description of the adverse effects of the noise on the patients during induction and/or emergence from anesthesia.
Includes a description of the physiological effects of the noise on the said patients.
Description of psychological effects of the noise on the said patients.
Qualitative description and analysis on the effects of the noise related to the anesthetic need of the patients.
Quantitative data on the acceptable level of noise for different OR suites.
Analysis
Collected data from research tools including questionnaires and personal interviews will be analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) inferentially. Correlations between the dependent variable (OR noise) will be made with independent variables including, psychological effects and physiological effects. The use of chi square will facilitate correlational linkages. Additionally, tabulation and analysis of noise levels in the study sites will be done.
References
Kelsey, J. L., & Gold, E. B. (2014, December). Observational epidemiology. In Elsevier Inc..
World Health Organization. (2010). Ed. Guidelines for community noise. Retrieved from http://
www.who.int/docstore/peh/noise/guidelines2.html
