Noise and Room Acoustic Conditions in a Tertiary Referral Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital

Cho, Wan-Ho; Jeong, Cheol-Ho; Chang, Ji-Ho; Lee, Seong-Hyun; Park, Moo Kyun; Suh, Myung-Whan; Han, Jae Joon

In ERs and ICUs, sound level meters were installed with logging function on for three days. In ERs ( Fig. 1A and B) , two sound level meters were installed: one in a triage area (Fig. 1B) , and the other in a treatment room. The former one was installed at a safe place close to the ceiling so that no one could easily touch. The latter one was installed near a patient bed, which happened to be close to the nurse station. Even if these locations might not be the best spots in this ER section, the most important consideration in determining the measurement spot was security and safety of the sound level meter, meaning that nobody accidentally touches or stops it by any means. In addition, the measurements should not disturb working paths between the patients and nurses. Ideally, hanging the microphone from the ceiling could be an option, but it was not possible in this hospital due to a particular gypsum panel ceiling installation. At a surgical ICU ( Fig. 1C and D), a sound level meter was installed on a shelf between a patient bed and a window because this place is also unlikely that people easily touch, or staff is disturbed.