Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Aug 1;40(8):587-595.
doi: 10.1097/EJA.0000000000001849. Epub 2023 May 11.

Fatigue amongst anaesthesiology and intensive care trainees in Europe: A matter of concern

Igor Abramovich  1 , Bernardo Matias, Gustavo Norte, Mateusz Zawadka, Federico Bilotta, Iulian Buzincu, Anne Marie Camilleri Podesta, Stefan De Hert, Ioana Grigoras, Georgiana Pintilie, Aidan Smallwood, Alexandra Trinks, Nancy Redfern
Affiliations

Fatigue amongst anaesthesiology and intensive care trainees in Europe: A matter of concern

Igor Abramovich et al. Eur J Anaesthesiol. .

Abstract

Background: There is a growing awareness of the effects of fatigue on trainee wellbeing and health. Trainees in anaesthesiology and intensive care work long hours, switching work schedules frequently with insufficient rest. This may have unwanted long-term effects on mental and physical health and emotional well being, resulting in burnout and affecting patient safety.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, severity, causes and effects of work-related fatigue in trainees in anaesthesiology and intensive care.

Design: Online survey of trainees in anaesthesiology and intensive care.

Settings: A total of 31 countries within Europe were included in the survey.

Participants: European anaesthesiology and intensive care trainees who responded to an invitation to take part by electronic mail or through social media.

Main outcome measures: Responses from a 29-item online survey to assess the realities within European countries with regards to work-related fatigue.

Results: One thousand and two hundred trainees from 31 European countries answered the survey demonstrating that an alarming number of trainees were fatigued by their working patterns and night shifts. Trainees reported effects on personal well being, safe commuting and potential for clinical errors. Respondents described a lack of support from hospitals and management for recovery during and after night shifts.

Conclusion: Fatigue among trainees in anaesthesiology and intensive care has a significant impact on their well being and potentially, on the incidence of clinical errors. Current measures from authorities and hospital management are not sufficient to prevent serious fatigue, and therefore a fatigue risk management system should be considered. Failure to address this issue might lead to a further decline in trainees' wellbeing, their capacity to work in the speciality in the future, and potentially increase patient care errors.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Williamson AM, Feyer AM. Moderate sleep deprivation produces impairments in cognitive and motor performance equivalent to legally prescribed levels of alcohol intoxication. Occup Environ Med 2000; 57:649–655.
    1. Laws, Worldwide, Drink Driving Limits UK & Worldwide – Drinkdriving.org [Internet]. Drinkdriving.org. 2022. Available at: https://www.drinkdriving.org/worldwide_drink_driving_limits.php . [Accessed 9 October 2022]
    1. Adams TP, Venter S. All night long: an assessment of the cognitive effects of night shift work in anaesthesiology trainees. South Afr J Anaesth Analg 2020; 26:287–292.
    1. Stuetzle KV, Pavlin BI, Smith NA, et al. Survey of occupational fatigue in anaesthetists in Australia and New Zealand. Anaesth Intensive Care 2018; 46:414–423.
    1. McClelland L, Holland J, Lomas JP, et al. A national survey of the effects of fatigue on trainees in anaesthesia in the UK. Anaesthesia 2017; 72:1069–1077.

LinkOut - more resources