Ilda Amirian

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a complex clinical condition with a wide clinical spectrum. In this report two cases illustrate two different onsets. The first patient presented with general seizures, whereas the other presented with symptoms of pre-eclampsia, which developed into sudden blindness. Both patients had uneventful caesarean sections performed, with delivery of healthy children. Due to CT scans of the cerebrum, correct treatment and diagnosis were delayed in both cases, but subsequently, PRES was confirmed by MRI. Both patients were discharged in good health.

Post-operative ileus is a condition which occurs after abdominal surgery. The incidence of post-operative ileus after gynaecological surgery is estimated to be 10-15% (range: 5-25%). The highest rates occur after laparotomy. Chewing gum stimulates bowel motility after gynaecological surgery and reduces time to first flatulence and faeces. Data on reduction in ileus symptoms and reduced hospital stay are not sufficient. Chewing gum is well tolerated and this article recommends it for post-operative optimization.

Objectives: To determine test re-test reliability and construct validity of the star-track test of manual dexterity. Design: Test re-test reliability was tested in a controlled study. Construct validity was tested in a blinded randomized crossover study. Setting: The study was performed at a university hospital in Denmark.Participants: A total of 11 subjects for test re-test and 20 subjects for the construct validity study were included. All were healthy volunteers. Intervention: The test re-test trial had two measurements with 2 days pause in between. The interventions in the construct validity study included baseline measurement, intervention 1: fatigue, intervention 2: stress, and intervention 3: fatigue and stress. There was a 2 day pause between each intervention. Main outcome measure: Integrated measure of completion time and number of errors. Results: All participants completed the study (test re-test n = 11; construct validity n=20). Test re-test showed a strong Pearson product-moment correlation (r= 0.90, n= 11, P < 0.01) with no sign of learning effect. The 20 subjects in the construct validity trial were randomized to the order of the four interventions, so that all subjects completed each intervention once. A repeated measures ANOVA determined that mean integrated measure differed between interventions (p = 0.003). Post hoc tests using Bonferroni correction revealed that compared with baseline all interventions had significantly higher integrated scores ranging from 47-59% difference in mean. Conclusion: The star track test of manual dexterity had a strong test re-test reliability, and was able to discriminate between a subject´s normal manual dexterity and dexterity after exposure to fatigue and/or stress.

Objectives: To determine test re-test reliability and construct validity of the star-track test of manual dexterity. Design: Test re-test reliability was tested in a controlled study. Construct validity was tested in a blinded randomized crossover study. Setting: The study was performed at a university hospital in Denmark.Participants: A total of 11 subjects for test re-test and 20 subjects for the construct validity study were included. All were healthy volunteers. Intervention: The test re-test trial had two measurements with 2 days pause in between. The interventions in the construct validity study included baseline measurement, intervention 1: fatigue, intervention 2: stress, and intervention 3: fatigue and stress. There was a 2 day pause between each intervention. Main outcome measure: Integrated measure of completion time and number of errors. Results: All participants completed the study (test re-test n = 11; construct validity n=20). Test re-test showed a strong Pearson product-moment correlation (r= 0.90, n= 11, P < 0.01) with no sign of learning effect. The 20 subjects in the construct validity trial were randomized to the order of the four interventions, so that all subjects completed each intervention once. A repeated measures ANOVA determined that mean integrated measure differed between interventions (p = 0.003). Post hoc tests using Bonferroni correction revealed that compared with baseline all interventions had significantly higher integrated scores ranging from 47-59% difference in mean. Conclusion: The star track test of manual dexterity had a strong test re-test reliability, and was able to discriminate between a subject´s normal manual dexterity and dexterity after exposure to fatigue and/or stress.

Long working hours can lead to physical and mental fatigue. Surveys show that many surgeons suffer from musculoskeletal disorders. A method used to counter fatigue is frequent short pauses. Micropauses in prevention of musculoskeletal disorders appear to be effective, but more clinical research is needed. Studies show that micropauses may reduce muscular fatigue and improve concentration and precision of surgeons but the effect on patient outcome is still unknown.

Heart rate variability (HRV) has been used as a measure of stress and mental strain in surgeons. Low HRV has been associated with death and increased risk of cardiac events in the general population. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of a 17-hour night shift on surgeons' HRV. Surgeons were monitored prospectively with an ambulatory electrocardiography device for 48 consecutive hours, beginning on a precall day and continuing through an on-call (17-h shift) day. We measured HRV by frequency domain parameters. We included 29 surgeons in our analysis. The median pulse rate was decreased precall (median 64, interquartile range [IQR] 56-70 beats per minute [bpm]) compared with on call (median 81, IQR 70-91 bpm, p < 0.001). Increased high-frequency (HF) activity was found precall (median 199, IQR 75-365 ms2) compared with on call (median 99, IQR 48-177 ms2, p < 0.001). The low-frequency:high-frequency (LF:HF) ratio was lower precall (median 2.7, IQR 1.9-3.9) than on call (median 4.9, IQR 3.7-6.5, p < 0.001). We found no correlation between the LF:HF ratio and performance in laparoscopic simulation. Surgeons working night shifts had a significant decrease in HRV and a significant increase in pulse rate, representing sympathetic dominance in the autonomic nervous system. NCT01623674 (www.clinicaltrials.gov).

The median incidence of adverse events that may result in patient injury is a total of 9% of all in-hospital admissions. In order to reduce this high incidence initiatives are continuously worked on that can reduce the risk of patient harm during admission by strengthening hospital systems. However, the influence of physicians' shift work on the risk on adverse events in patients remains controversial. In the studies included in this PhD thesis we wished to examine the impact of sleep deprivation and circadian rhythm disturbances on surgeons' during night shifts. Further we wished to examine the impact sleep deprivation had on surgeons' performance as a measure of how patient safety would be affected. We found that sleep deprivation subjectively had an impact on the surgeons and that they were aware of the effect fatigue had on their work performance. As a result they applied different mechanisms to cope with fatigue. Attending surgeons felt that they had a better overview now, due to more experience and better skills, than when they were residents, despite the fatigue on night shifts. We monitored surgeons' performance during night shifts by laparoscopic simulation and cognitive tests in order to assess their performance; no deterioration was found when pre call values were compared to on call values. The surgeons were monitored prospectively for 4 days across a night shift in order to assess the circadian rhythm and sleep. We found that surgeons' circadian rhythm was affected by working night shifts and their sleep pattern altered, resembling that of shift workers on the post call day. We assessed the quality of admission in medical records as a measure of surgeons' performance, during day, evening and night hours and found no deterioration in the quality of night time medical records. However, consistent high errors were found in several categories. These findings should be followed up in the future with respect of clarifying mechanism and consequences for patient safety. In conclusion the assessment of the impact of sleep deprivation on surgeons' performance during night shift is complex and multi-faceted. Surgeons do feel an impact of sleep deprivation during night shifts, and their circadian rhythm is affected. Despite this, it appears that the surgeons are able to compensate for the effects of sleep loss. We did not find any results to support that sleep loss results in psychomotor or cognitive deterioration during a 17-hour night shift or that sleep deprivation during a night shift results in reduced patient safety.

A thorough and accurate admission medical record is an important tool in ensuring patient safety during the hospital stay. Surgeons' performance might be affected during night shifts due to sleep deprivation. The aim of the study was to assess the quality of admission medical records during day, evening and night time. A total of 1,000 admission medical records were collected from 2009 to 2013 based equally on four diagnoses: mechanical bowel obstruction, appendicitis, gallstone disease and gastrointestinal bleeding. The records were reviewed for errors by a pre-defined checklist based on Danish standards for admission medical records. The time of dictation for the medical record was registered. A total of 1,183 errors were found in 778 admission medical records made during day- and evening time, and 322 errors in 222 admission medical records from night time shifts. No significant overall difference in error was found in the admission medical records when day and evening values were compared to night values. Subgroup analyses made for all four diagnoses showed no difference in day and evening values compared with night time values. Night time deterioration was not seen in the quality of the medical records.