This article presents the results of a noise survey at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Results include equivalent sound pressure levels as a function of location, frequency, and time of day. At all locations and all times of day, the indicate that a serious problem exists. No location is in compliance with current World Health Organization Guidelines, and a review of objective data indicates that this is true of hospitals throughout the world. Average equivalent sound levels are in the range for , , and averaging time periods. The spectra are generally flat over the octave bands, with higher sound levels at lower frequencies, and a gradual roll off above . Many units exhibit little if any reduction of sound levels in the nighttime. Data gathered at various hospitals over the last indicate a trend of increasing noise levels during daytime and nighttime hours. The implications of these results are significant for patients, visitors, and hospital staff.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
December 2005
December 01 2005
Noise levels in Johns Hopkins Hospital
Ilene J. Busch-Vishniac;
Johns Hopkins University
, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Search for other works by this author on:
James E. West;
James E. West
Johns Hopkins University
, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Search for other works by this author on:
Colin Barnhill;
Colin Barnhill
Johns Hopkins University
, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Search for other works by this author on:
Tyrone Hunter;
Tyrone Hunter
Johns Hopkins University
, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Search for other works by this author on:
Douglas Orellana;
Douglas Orellana
Johns Hopkins University
, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Search for other works by this author on:
Ram Chivukula
Ram Chivukula
Johns Hopkins University
, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Search for other works by this author on:
a)
Electronic mail: ilenebv@jhu.edu
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 118, 3629–3645 (2005)
Article history
Received:
May 25 2005
Accepted:
September 19 2005
Citation
Ilene J. Busch-Vishniac, James E. West, Colin Barnhill, Tyrone Hunter, Douglas Orellana, Ram Chivukula; Noise levels in Johns Hopkins Hospital. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1 December 2005; 118 (6): 3629–3645. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.2118327
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign In
You could not be signed in. Please check your credentials and make sure you have an active account and try again.
Pay-Per-View Access
$40.00
Citing articles via
A survey of sound source localization with deep learning methods
Pierre-Amaury Grumiaux, Srđan Kitić, et al.
Co-speech head nods are used to enhance prosodic prominence at different levels of narrow focus in French
Christopher Carignan, Núria Esteve-Gibert, et al.
In a presentation, Ted once said I'd like my epitaph to be “I simplified.”
Paul Schomer, Truls Gjestland
Related Content
Noise in the operating rooms of Johns Hopkins Hospital
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (May 2007)
Noise in the adult emergency department of Johns Hopkins Hospital
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (April 2007)
Ambient noise in Johns Hopkins Hospital
J Acoust Soc Am (October 2004)
Assessing the speech intelligibility index in Johns Hopkins Hospital
J Acoust Soc Am (May 2007)
Operating room noise at Johns Hopkins Hospital
J Acoust Soc Am (May 2006)