Workflow-dependent noise peaks and exposure assessment in operating rooms: implications for occupational risk.

Background Operating room noise is a recognized occupational exposure with potential implications for worker health and performance. Most workplace noise risk assessments rely on time-averaged levels, which may obscure short-duration, high-intensity exposure peaks occurring during specific workflow...

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Publicado en:Annals of Work Exposures & Health Vol. 70; no. 5; pp. 1 - 13
Autores principales: Katran, Hamdiye Banu, Ocaktan, Nermin, Uzun, Ece, Altinkaynak, Gulcan
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Oxford University Press / USA Jul2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jul2026
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      pub: Oxford University Press / USA
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        atl: Workflow-dependent noise peaks and exposure assessment in operating rooms: implications for occupational risk.
      aug:
        au:
          Katran, Hamdiye Banu
          Ocaktan, Nermin
          Uzun, Ece
          Altinkaynak, Gulcan
        affil: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Marmara University, Başıbüyük Yolu No:4/B 34854, Istanbul, Türkiye
      sug:
        subj:
          Operating Rooms
          Workflow
          Noise Evaluation
          Occupational Exposure Evaluation
          Risk Assessment Evaluation
          Occupational Hazards
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Adult
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Academic Medical Centers
          Turkiye
          Operating Room Nurses
          Descriptive Research
          Pretest-Posttest Design
          Attention Evaluation
          Stress, Psychological Evaluation
          Calibration
          Data Analysis Software
          Descriptive Statistics
          T-Tests
          Pearson's Correlation Coefficient
          Anesthesia
          Surgical Equipment and Supplies
          Correlational Studies
          Transportation of Patients
          One-Way Analysis of Variance
          Post Hoc Analysis
          Specialties, Medical
          Questionnaires
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background Operating room noise is a recognized occupational exposure with potential implications for worker health and performance. Most workplace noise risk assessments rely on time-averaged levels, which may obscure short-duration, high-intensity exposure peaks occurring during specific workflow phases. Task-aligned exposure characterization may therefore provide additional value for occupational risk assessment. Methods A field measurement study was conducted in 26 operating rooms under routine clinical conditions. A total of 611 real-time sound level measurements were obtained across 13 predefined surgical workflow stages using a calibrated sound level meter. Stage-specific noise levels were recorded to characterize exposure variability and peak events. Surgical nurses completed the Perceived Stress Scale and the Attention Control Scale immediately before and after procedures. Descriptive statistics, paired comparisons, and correlation analyses were performed. Results The mean noise level across workflow stages was 66.57 dB, while short-term peak levels reached up to 87 dB. Peak exposures clustered in workflow stages involving equipment movement and patient transfer. Noise variability differed substantially between workflow stages. No statistically significant pre- to post-procedure differences were observed in perceived stress or attention control scores. Associations between stage-averaged noise levels and psychological measures were weak and not statistically significant. Conclusion Reliance on average noise levels alone may underestimate task-dependent peak exposures in operating rooms. Workflow-aligned measurement approaches improve exposure characterization and may strengthen occupational noise risk assessment. Integrating stage-specific monitoring into routine workplace exposure evaluation may support more precise hazard identification and targeted risk control strategies for operating room personnel.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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