The impact of noise in the operating theatre: a review of the evidence

Abstract

Introduction Noise has been recognised to have a negative impact on performance and wellbeing in many settings. Average noise levels have been found to range between 51dB and 79dB in operating theatres. Despite these levels of noise, there is little research investigating their effect on surgical team functioning. Methods A literature review to look at the impact of noise in the operating theatre was performed on MEDLINE, which included the search terms ‘noise’ OR ‘distraction’ AND ‘technical skill’ OR ‘Surgical skill’ OR ‘Operating Room’. Only 10 of 307 articles identified were deemed relevant. Findings Eight of ten studies found noise to be detrimental to communication and surgical performance, particularly regarding total errors and time to task completion. No studies found noise to be beneficial. Two studies found case-irrelevant verbal communication to be a frequent form of noise pollution in operating theatres; this is both perceived by surgeons to be distracting and delays patient care. Conclusion Noise and irrelevant verbal communications were both found to be harmful to surgical performance, surgeon experience and team functioning.