Review article
DOES THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST SLEP SOUNDLY?
ANTE SEKULIĆ
; University Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine, Division of Neuroanesthesia and Neurointensive Care, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
BRANKA MAZUL SUNKO
; University Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Sveti Duh University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
MERITA DINAC
; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Working in night shifts influences human health, mood, and cognitive functions. Anesthesia residents and consultants work in long shifts that include the night. Changes of cognitive functions may diminish the quality of anesthesiologist’s work, increase the number of errors, and endanger the patient. Changes of biological rhythms can influence health of the anesthesiologist himself. The alterations in circulation, metabolism, memory, fine motor control, mood and attention have been recorded. After night work, the possibility of car accident for an anesthesiologist is higher. Attempts have been made to reduce negative influences of night work by shortening the number of working hours during the week. The debate about this step is vivid and still present. From this viewpoint, the most interesting aspects are the quality of educational process, the number of errors in practical work, and the quality of health care. After shortening of working hours, there are no clear indicators of the positive effects in any of these fields. Shortening of the working week is part of ‘the culture of safety’ in anesthesiology.
Keywords
anesthesiologist; sleep deprivation; cognitive functions; fatigue; working week
Hrčak ID:
93244
URI
Publication date:
30.10.2012.
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