Towards the acoustical characterisation of an Intensive Care Unit

•The authors assess the acoustical environment in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).•A noisier environment than recommended was found, but consistent with literature.•Weekly measurements (1st time in a ICU) highlighted limits of previous studies.•Correction for patient exposure were assessed in anechoic/reverberant environments.•Tests in the ICU environment highlighted challenges in assessing patient exposure.