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Night shift decreases cognitive performance of ICU physicians
François Maltese1, Mélanie Adda1, Amandine Bablon1
1Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Nord, Réanimation des Détresses Respiratoires et des Infections Sévères, Chemin des Bourrely, 13015, Marseille, France.
Intensive Care Medicine
|November 12, 2015
Summary
Intensive care unit (ICU) night shifts significantly impair physician cognitive skills, including memory and processing speed. These deficits persist regardless of experience or sleep duration, impacting patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Medical Science
- Neuroscience
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Tiredness is linked to increased medical errors.
- Intensive care unit (ICU) night shifts are common for intensivists.
- Cognitive performance is crucial for critical care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of ICU night shifts on intensivists' cognitive performance.
- To investigate the role of professional experience and sleep duration on cognitive function after night shifts.
Main Methods:
- 51 intensivists (24 seniors, 27 residents) from three ICUs participated.
- Participants underwent cognitive testing after a night of rest and after a night shift in randomized order.
- Cognitive skills assessed included working memory, processing speed, perceptual reasoning, and cognitive flexibility using standardized tests.
Main Results:
- All tested cognitive abilities significantly worsened after an ICU night shift.
- Working memory, processing speed, and perceptual reasoning remained impaired regardless of sleep duration.
- Cognitive flexibility showed improvement only after 2 hours of sleep; no significant difference in impairment between senior and resident physicians was found.
Conclusions:
- ICU night shifts significantly impair intensivists' cognitive functions.
- Cognitive deficits persist irrespective of professional experience or sleep obtained during the shift.
- Further evaluation of patient safety and physician health consequences is warranted.
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