Noise is a health hazard and a source of stress, and
it impairs concentration and communication. Since
1960, hospital noise levels have risen around the
world. Nowhere in the healthcare setting is noise
more prevalent than in the operating room (OR). The
genetic makeup of humans does not evolve at the rate
of technology. Noise exposure, sensory overload, and
the capacity to adapt without physical and psychological
consequences are absent from the human condition.
The World Health Organization has recognized
environmental noise as harmful pollution that causes