title: Noise levels in Greek hospitals.
abstract: High noise levels have been recognized as a serious problem in hospital environments during both night- and daytime, and have been associated with a negative impact on patients' health status. The aim of this study was to measure and detect differences in noise levels between an ICU and a pulmonary ward in two general hospitals in Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  Noise measurements were recorded in one-hour intervals using the Cirrus CR: 245/R2 Environmental Noise Analyzer in a 30-bed pulmonary ward and in a 16-bed general ICU for seven consecutive days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Noise levels detected in the ward were significantly lower than those detected in the ICU (52.6 +/- 8.2 dB vs 59 +/- 2.2 dB, P Conclusion: Noise levels measured in the ward and in the ICU were high, significantly exceeding the highest permitted values for hospitals. The latter was more obviously recorded in the ICU.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Pulmonary Department, GH 'G. PAPANIKOLAOU', Thessaloniki, Greece. bpneumonologiki@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: Venetia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tsara
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nena
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Serasli
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vasileiadis
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Matamis
authors.forename: Pandora
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Christaki
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006115:Greece; D006272:Health Facility Environment; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D009622:Noise; D012124:Respiratory Care Units; D013018:Sound Spectrography