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A Prospective Observational Study of the Effect of Night Duty on the Cognitive Function of Anaesthetic Registrars
- Article from:
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Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
- Article date:
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October 1, 2006
- Author:
- Griffiths, J D; McCutcheon, C; Silbert, B S; Maruff, P
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Copyright informationCopyright Australian Society of Anaesthetists Oct 2006. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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SUMMARY
The issue of fatigue in hospital medical staff represents a potential health and safety risk to both staff and patients, and is receiving worldwide interest. We aimed to characterize the cognitive performance of anaesthetic registrars before and after a series of night shifts. We enrolled nine full-time anaesthetic trainees in an Australian adult tertiaryreferral hospital. We conducted a cross-over observational study which tested cognitive performance in participants before and after seven consecutive night shifts and compared this with performance before and after seven consecutive day shifts. Cognitive function was measured using a computerized assessment tool. Participants ...