Influence of noise manipulation on retention in a simulated ICU ward round: an experimental pilot study

BACKGROUND: Noise exposure leads to a reduction in cognitive abilities in diverse settings, however, only limited data exist examining the effects of environmental ICU noise on the cognitive performance of ICU professionals. A frequently occurring and demanding retention task in ICUs are ward rounds, which are considered key for the provision of medical care. Here, we investigate the influence of noise on information retention in a simulated ward round. METHODS: ICU professionals were exposed to a recorded, ICU ward round, simulated partly with and partly without environmental ICU noise. Ward rounds were followed by specific questions about previously provided information. RESULTS: 56 ICU professionals (aged 26–59 years) were included. A logistic mixed model showed a reduction of 27% (P < 0.001) in the ward round test performance when participants were exposed to environmental ICU noise. Furthermore, advanced age was associated with reduced retention (− 28%, P < 0.001), questions containing important information performed better (+ 36%, P < 0.001), and higher stress led to better performance in retention (+ 24%, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed a considerable negative influence of environmental ICU noise during a simulated ward round. Therefore, reduction of environmental ICU noise is recommended. The influence of additional factors, including stress, priorities, and demographic factors should be pursued in subsequent investigations. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40635-022-00430-1.