Introduction:

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has established a maximum noise level of 40 decibels (dB) for an intensive care unit. The aim of this study was to compare the noise levels in 2 different intensive care units at a tertiary care centre.

Methods:

Using a cross-sectional design study, an analysis was made of the maximum noise level was within the intensive coronary care unit and intensive care unit using a digital meter. A measurement was made in 4 different points of each room, with 5 minute intervals, for a period of 60 minutes 7:30, 14:30, and 20:30. The means of the observations were compared with descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U. An analysis with Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to the mean noise level.

Results:

The noise observed in the intensive care unit had a mean of 64.77 ± 3.33 dB (P = .08), which was similar to that in the intensive coronary care unit, with a mean of 60.20 ± 1.58 dB (P = .129). Around 25% or more of the measurements exceeded the level recommended by the WHO by up to 20 points.

Conclusions:

Noise levels measured in intensive care wards exceed the maximum recommended level for a hospital. It is necessary to design and implement actions for greater participation of health personnel in the reduction of environmental noise.