Noise is a familiar operating-theatre problem. Equipment, alarms, power tools, ventilation, music and conversation all contribute. When sound levels rise, spoken communication can become harder and cognitive load can increase. Objective monitoring helps turn a subjective problem into something the team can see and manage.

Real-time awareness near the patient

Qi60 iSense measures environmental noise from a position close to the surgical field and displays status information on the wall control. That gives the team a shared reference point for the acoustic conditions in the room rather than relying only on individual perception.

Why noise matters

The Brandon Medical literature review found consistent evidence that excessive operating-room noise can reduce speech intelligibility, contribute to repeated instructions and communication errors, and increase mental workload, stress and fatigue. The evidence also shows that the effect of music is context-dependent: lower-volume music may be acceptable or even preferred in some situations, while loud or fast music can become distracting.

What teams can do with the information

When noise rises, teams can respond according to local protocol: reduce unnecessary background noise, review non-critical alarms, lower music during high-concentration phases and moderate avoidable conversation. Monitoring is therefore a behavioural and workflow tool as much as a measurement function.