The Impact of Incubators on Noise Transmission Produced by High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilator Inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Use of HFOV is a common practice inside the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). There is a concern regarding the level of noise produced by HFOV inside the NICU. Objective: To evaluate and define the noise intensity produced by the high-frequency, oscillatory ventilator sensormedics (HFOV) and the impact of the incubator on the transmission of noise in different places inside the NICU. Methods: Using a noise analyzer, the noise produced by the HFOV sensormedics was measured in two setups: inside a quiet room, and inside the NICU during working hours. Measurements were repeated 2 times: first, inside and outside the tested incubator, second, inside and outside the next incubator. No human newborns were involved in the study; instead, a mannequin was used to simulate a newborn. The noise analyzer was placed next to mannequin mouth while inside the incubator and midway between the mannequin and the ventilator while measurements were taken outside the incubator. Each measurement was recorded against different HFOV ▲P and different frequency settings. Each measurement set lasted five minutes, where the highest and lowest readings were recorded every minute, and the average value of noise intensity was calculated.