Page 19 - Delaware Medical Journal - March 2018

SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE
TABLE 2. Sound Levels and Description At Various Facilities Obtained on the NIOSH SLM App
DATE SOUND Time
Minutes: Seconds
LAeq
(dB)
LCpeak Max. (dB) level
(dB)
ENVIRONMENT
DESCRIPTION
8/1/17 0:33 56.5 85.2 68.5
Acute Care
Ringing bells and alerts from different rooms with a change in intensity as staff was busy and could not respond quickly
8/1/17 0:11 57.3 79.9 66.3
Acute Care
Phone ringing from “staff only” office
8/2/17 0:14 71.1 91.5 79.4
Acute Care
In a patient’s room, patient’s IV box alarm alert. Patient silenced it. Staff was not present at time
8/3/17 3:04 77.0 109.8 98.8
Long-term care
Patient was screaming in public area, as patient kept screaming, others began to make louder noises
8/10/17 0:41 77.7 98.7 90.8
Long-term care/ skilled nursing
Patient screaming “help” in hallway, staff standing behind patient, patient holding on to phone in hallway while it is still ringing, other patients coming out of room to observe noise
8/10/17 0:25 66.0 85.9 72.5
Acute Care
Beeping from rooms getting louder every 10 seconds
8/14/17 0:20 66.6 86.3 74.1
Long-term care/ skilled nursing
Same patient as on 8/10. Patient rolling in wheel chair down the hallway while screaming with staff present
8/17/17 0:44 77.4 101.9 93.4
Long-term care/ skilled nursing
Patient, in no acute distress, in bed screaming
8/17/17 0:17 65.3 87.8 72.2
Acute Care
Beeping of IV stand due to low battery, nurse busy with other patients
8/21/17 0:15 67.6 85.3 71.0
Long-term care/ skilled nursing
2 bed patient room with TV on in Bed A area while no one else besides Bed B patient is present
8/22/17 0:47 61.9 89.7 74.1
Acute Care
2 alarms, 1 phone, 3 conversations
8/23/17 0:48 57.0 79.4 67.7
Acute Care
Beeping due to IV box, critically ill patient, nurses busy with other patients
8/24/17 0:48 66.5 103.5 83.8
Acute Care
Staff conversations
8/24/17 0:23 74.7 94.4 85.6
Long-term care/ skilled nursing
Same patient as 8/10, 8/14, yelling down hallway in shrill tone. Other patients sitting and observing in hall
8/25/17 0:07 62.9 85.8 70.9
Acute Care
Phone ringing
8/28/17 0:06 62.2 83.1 69.5
Acute Care
2 bed patient room. While conversing with patient in Bed B, Bed A patient’s IV stand beeping. Staff responded in <30 seconds
8/28/17 0:08 61.4 77.2 71.9
Long term care/ skilled nursing
Door alarm when door handles are pushed when door is locked. Code must be entered to silence alarm.
8/30/17 0:54 59.4 87.6 72.9
Acute Care
Beeping and alarms
8/31/17 0:50 83.6 110.3 99.1
Long-term care
Patient with dementia screaming and combative while having bandage removed. Patient’s door open, another patient came to door to observe and began conversing
8/31/17 0:38 73.6 98.0 85.9
Long term care/ skilled nursing
Patients talking to each other in the hallway while another patient screaming.
8/31/17 0:07 83.7 103.4 90.0
Long term care/ skilled nursing
2 bed patient room. Patient in Bed A with hearing impairment watching TV while patient with dementia in Bed B confused and conversing with self
Del Med J | March 2018 | Vol. 90 | No. 3 83