Noise characteristics and its influence analysis of the waiting areas in a Chinese children's hospital.

Compared to the general hospital, the children's hospital has significantly higher noise levels. This seriously influences hospital environment quality and medical service level. The noise characteristic and its influence were studied with field measurements and questionnaire surveys conducted in Kunming Children's Hospital. A-weighted equivalent continuous sound level (L_Aeq), percentile sound pressure levels, loudness and sharpness in waiting areas of cardiology, internal medicine, stomatology, intravenous blood collection and VIP departments were acquired and analyzed. Results showed that L_Aeq variation was consistent with the medical service schedule. The children's cries and the broadcast system were regarded as the main noise sources and their suddenness characteristic for a single event were analyzed. Questionnaire survey results revealed that more staff than patients in the waiting areas considered the sound environmental noisy. The ordered logit model analysis showed the subjective noisy evaluation of staff was significantly associated with ten percentile sound level (L₁₀) and five percentile loudness (N₅).