According to the editorial, the effects of sleep deprivation can have disastrous consequences for patient care. Charles A. Czeisler, MD, chief of the Division of Sleep Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said the level of impairment caused by sleep deprivation is profound well before the point of falling asleep.
Dr. Czeisler cited a 2006 survey he co-wrote that contacted nearly 3,000 residents in their first postgraduate year of training. One-fifth admitted having made a fatigue-related mistake that harmed a patient.
The editorial suggested medical facilities institute policies that minimize the likelihood of a sleep-deprived physician performing elective surgery. Without such policies, physicians should, at the very least, inform patients of their condition.
Read the CNN report on the editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Read more on patient safety:
–National Patient Safety Foundation to Create Professional Society, Certification Program
–Letter From ASA to Joint Commission Urges Action on Medication Management Concerns
–Anesthesiologist Warns Hospitals His Surgical Invention Could Spread Bacteria
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