Abstract:
Background: Cesarean delivery room environments have unique features potentially increasing
the risk for noise exposure. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the noise level
should not exceed 30 dB in hospitals and the Rwanda Standard board (RSB) recommends that the
maximum acceptable noise levels at hospital environment could not exceed 40 - 50 db. However,
little is known regarding operating theatres’ noise pollution levels. Aim: assess noise pollution in
the operating theater during caesarian section at selected hospitals in Kigali. Methods:
Quantitative cross-sectional study design was used to measure levels and source of noise in two
referral hospitals in Kigali. Purposive sampling method was used to select at least 80 caesarian
section operations both hospitals. Randomly 80 caesarian sections were selected from 2 hospitals
in Kigali with 40 cases per hospital. The sound measurement mobile phone app was used to
measure the sound level and the checklist was used to record the source of noise. The UR/IRB
ethical approval and the referral hospitals research committee’s permission were obtained before
data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 25 and descriptive and inferential
statistics were done.
Results: The noise level found in both facilities exceeded the 35dB
recommended by the World Health Organization. The degree of the noise level was slightly
different between elective and emergency surgical stages at two hospitals. The mean noise level
was high during emergency C-section with a means level of 67.02dB (SD:9.7) before surgery,
50.45dB (SD: 8.8) in the middle of surgery, and 64dB (SD:8.79) in the ending stages of an
emergency surgery. The noise level throughout the surgery was relatively higher during the day
shifts than night shifts with the mean levels of 68dB (SD:9.4) before surgery starts, 50dB (S.D:
9.81) in the middle of surgery, and 62.17dB (SD:9.7) after the surgical process.
Conclusion and
recommendations: There is high noise pollution during caesarian section at selected 2 referral
hospitals in Kigali. The noise pollution level recorded exceeded the noise pollution level
recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), International Noise Council and
Rwanda Standard Board (RSB). The major source of noise during caesarian section included
movement of equipment, staff conversations, suction apparatus, anesthetic monitors, objects
falling on the floor, and dropping of metal instruments. Measures to reduce noise pollution level
in theatres and its impact are needed in Rwanda.
