A newly published study from Sweden describes the audible atmosphere of an intensive care unit patient room over a 24-hour period. The study aimed to investigate sound level data and compare patient recollection of the sound environment during the stay. The study showed that sound levels are exceeding 55dB between 70-90% of the time, which […]
Healthcare
Noisy toys can damage childrens’ hearing
Researchers from UC Irvine’s Department of Otolaryngology measured the noise levels of two dozen popular noisy toys in stores and purchased the 10 loudest for precise gauging in a soundproof booth at UC Irvine Medical Center. They found that all exceeded 90 decibels and several reached 100 or more, equivalent to the noise of a […]
Hearing screening across Europe
The prevention, screening and treatment of communication disorders among children, including the use of e-health and innovative solutions, is one of the priorities in the field of public health during just started Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Official information can be found here. Screening In accordance with that, “European consensus on […]
Conference on future hospitals and healthcare buildings
From May 10-12 2011 many are participating in the conference on future hospitals and other healthcare premises in Copenhagen. Ecophon is also participating and active on Twitter about what’s hot and what’s not. Apart from workshops, debates, and study visits, the participants will have an opportunity to listen to a wide range of lectures performed […]
ICU staff become more relaxed
“Staff really cool down in here, relaxed. The different light, the muffled sound, and the nice colors in the room affect everyone who stays here, “says ICU nurse Ann-Louise Smith. Ann-Louise works as an ICU nurse at Södra Älvborgs Hospital, where one of the ICU rooms is specially designed to create a better environment […]
Too noisy to sleep? Let the hospital know
Nighttime noise can be devastating and too noisy to recover during a hospital stay. Silent Hospitals Help Healing Through its Silent Hospitals Help Healing Committee, the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix is making a conscious effort to improve the sound situation in the hospital by involving the patients. By sending “noise alerts” when […]
Traffic noise increases risk of stroke
A recently published Danish study indicates that traffic noises may increase the risk of stroke, particularly for older individuals. Risk of stroke The study was published in the European Heart Journal and looked at the association between road traffic noise and stroke in more than 51,000 Danish people. It was found that for every 10-decibel […]
Breakthrough in tinnitus research
Tinnitus research Researchers Dr. Michael Kilgard and Dr. Navzer Engineer from The University of Texas at Dallas in cooperation with a company called MicroTransponder report that sounds paired with stimulation of the vagus nerve eliminated tinnitus in rats. A clinical trial in humans is due to begin in the next few months. The method works […]
Design as a medicine in an ICU
Can the design of a room lead to quicker recovery like a medicine? Design as medicine That is what is being investigated in a project at an ICU at Södra Älvsborgs hospital in Borås, Sweden. The design of the patient room includes the use of soft colors, the sound environment is being controlled by acoustic […]
Noise at work bad for your heart
Noise at work significantly ‘heightens heart risk’ and makes you weigh and smoke more, study finds Working in a consistently noisy environment such as a factory more than doubles the risk of serious heart problems, research suggests. In the under -50s, the risk increases fourfold, the study warns, and young male smokers are also particularly […]
