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Weaker compressions after night shift? The WeCAN manikin study
Anne-Laure Philippon1, Antoine Nguyen, Pierre-Alexis Raynal
1aSorbonne University, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMRS INSERM 1166, IHU ICAN bEmergency Department cMedical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition dIntensive Care Unit and Department of Pneumology, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière eEmergency Department, Hôpital Saint Antoine fEmergency Department, Hôpital Tenon, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France.
Physician chest compression (CC) quality, including depth, remained similar after a night shift compared to a control day. This study indicates night shifts do not negatively impact critical resuscitation skills.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Critical Care Medicine
- Medical Education
Background:
- Night shifts are common for physicians in critical care settings.
- Physician fatigue after night shifts may impact cognitive and motor skills.
- The effect of night shifts on the quality of chest compressions (CC) is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if chest compression quality differs before and after a physician's night shift.
- To compare key indicators of CC quality between a control day and a post-night shift assessment.
Main Methods:
- A cluster randomized study was conducted in Emergency Departments and ICUs.
- Physicians' CC quality was assessed on a control day and after a night shift.
- The primary endpoint was the proportion of CCs with depth > 50 mm; other quality metrics were also analyzed.
Main Results:
- No significant difference was found in the proportion of CCs with depth > 50 mm (52% in both groups).
- Other CC quality indicators remained unchanged post-night shift.
- A statistically significant, though small, decrease in mean CC depth was observed after night shifts (51 mm vs. 48 mm, P=0.01).
Conclusions:
- Chest compression quality after a night shift is not inferior to quality on a control day in this sample.
- While mean depth slightly decreased, critical CC quality metrics were maintained.
- Findings suggest that physicians can maintain adequate chest compression performance despite night shift work.
