Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39485060›Full record

ArticleBirth (Berkeley, Calif.)2025

Reduction of Noise Levels During Caesarean Births Through Audiovisual Feedback is Associated With Lower Stress Levels for Patients.

Caroline Helena Gabrysch, Sophie-Isabelle Anders, Iris Dressler-Steinbach, Thorsten Braun, Ilhamiyya Efe, Wolfgang Henrich

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Birth (Berkeley, Calif.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Caroline Helena GabryschDepartment of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-5616-7518
Sophie-Isabelle AndersDepartment of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Iris Dressler-SteinbachDepartment of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Thorsten BraunDepartment of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Ilhamiyya EfeDepartment of Gynecology, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany.
Wolfgang HenrichDepartment of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveNoise reduction during surgical procedures leads to improved surgical performance and results. The caesarean birth (CB) is an exceptional operation and a life changing experience. Through the introduction of staff education and implementation of audiovisual feedback, we intended to reduce noise, and subsequently reduce surgical complications and increase the well-being of patients and staff.

methodsDuring Phase I, blinded baseline measurements of noise were conducted. Phase II started after staff education and structured questionnaires on subjective noise and stress were added, and in Phase III audiovisual feedback was introduced. Mean and peak noise levels over the time of the procedure were obtained in A-weighted decibels (dB(A)). Kruskal-Wallis H tests were performed to evaluate the impact of interventions on noise levels. Questionnaires were evaluated using descriptive statistics; stress-scores were compared using independent sample t-tests.

resultsNinety planned CBs were included. Median noise levels were 62.85 dB(A) at baseline. They decreased significantly to 60.60 dB(A) (Phase II) and 59.25 dB(A) (Phase III), respectively. This reduction of 3.6 dB(A) leads to a subjective noise reduction of around 20%. Significant differences for A-weighted and peak noise levels during actual surgery were found after combining staff education with audiovisual feedback. In Phase III, staff reported less stressful noise. Stress also decreased significantly in the patient group. Beeping machines and telephones were identified as the most stressful sources of noise.

conclusionWe show that noise reduction during CB is both necessary and possible. Diminished subjective perception of noise and stress are positive impacts of this intervention. Staff education and audiovisual feedback can help to provide a calm and lower stress environment for patients and staff during caesarean births.

Indexed as

Cesarean SectionNoiseStress, PsychologicalAdultFeedbackFemaleHumansPregnancySurveys and Questionnairescaesarean sectionnoise reductionpatient well‐beingperipartal stressprevention

Identifiers

PMID39485060
PMCPMC11829260

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.