Too noisy to sleep safely?—An observational study of noise levels and distractions during critical phases of pediatric anesthesia

AbstractBackgroundNoise and distraction are recognized as contributing factors in critical incidents associated with surgery and anesthesia. In addition, excessive noise exposure can have negative effects on patients and staff members in these environments.AimsWe aimed to quantify noise exposure of the anesthesiology team and patients in pediatric operating theaters, comparing them to adult studies, internationally recognized standards, and identifying factors contributing to noise and/or distraction.MethodsWe measured noise levels during three phases of anesthesia (pre‐induction, induction, and postinduction/maintenance) and recorded additional environmental sources of distraction and noise.ResultsWe included 49 theater cases. The median and interquartile range (IQR) of mean noise levels during pre‐induction, induction, and maintenance were 61 (59.7‐63.5), 61.9 (60.6‐63.3), and 61.6 (60.4‐63.7) dB, respectively, while the median (IQR) of maximal noise levels was 81.4 (77.3‐86.8), 83.7 (78.5‐87.4), and 86.3 (84.6‐90.4), respectively. There was an average of 8.3 people present in the room during induction. In 23 cases, there were additional unnecessary conversations occurring within the room at induction. We noted the maintenance phase was the noisiest phase of anesthesia. We recorded frequent potential sources of distraction during pre‐induction and induction, though no significant correlations between these distractions and recorded noise levels.ConclusionsWe documented noise levels well above recommended levels during all phases of pediatric anesthesia. We highlighted factors with potential to contribute to noise and distraction but found no statistically significant correlation with noise levels.