Traffic and noise in children's wards.
OBJECTIVE
To measure pedestrian traffic volumes and noise levels in paediatric open bay areas and discuss their impact on the care of sick children.


METHODS
Between August and October 1992, we recorded the number and duration of entrances to two open bay areas comprising eight and ten beds respectively in a ward for infants and a ward for older children. Eight 24-hour periods (1200 to 1200) Friday to Saturday were assessed. Noise levels in decibels dB(A) were measured at 15-minute intervals.


RESULTS
In an average 24-hour period, 5.5 (SD +/- 1.3) patients in the infants' ward and 9.5 (SD +/- 0.6) patients in the children's ward received 617 (SD +/- 85) and 683 (SD +/- 64) visits by 104 (SD +/- 20) and 110 (SD +/- 2) individuals respectively. The maximum numbers of visits per hour were 57 (SD +/- 14) and 54 (SD +/- 8) visits between 1500 and 1600 hours on Friday for each ward. Visits tended to be brief; 225 (SD +/- 23) and 217 (SD +/- 34) visits were of less than one minute's duration. The maximum noise levels of 57.3 dB(A) (SD +/- 6.3) and 64.6 dB(A) (SD +/- 3.5) occurred at 1000 Saturday and 1900 Friday and coincided with peak traffic volumes.


CONCLUSIONS
Open bay areas generate high traffic volumes and coincident noise. Consideration should be given to either modifying or abolishing open bay areas and to general noise control measures.
Couper
R T
RT
University of Adelaide Department of Paediatrics, Adelaide Children's Hospital.
Hendy
K
K
Lloyd
N
N
Gray
N
N
Williams
S
S
Bates
D J
DJ
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006749:Hospital Design and Construction; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009622:Noise; D010362:Patients' Rooms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010372:Pediatrics; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D013021:South Australia; D013997:Time Factors; D014789:Visitors to Patients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data