Prevention and treatment of sleep deprivation among emergency physicians.

Publié le 27 août 2007 • Catégorie(s) : Conditions de travail et santé psychologique • Mot(s) clef(s) : horaires de travail, médecins

Pediatr Emerg Care. 2007 Jul;23(7):498-503; quiz 534-5.
Prevention and treatment of sleep deprivation among emergency physicians.
Nelson D.
Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. doug.nelson@hsc.utah.edu
Emergency physicians commonly experience sleep deprivation because of the need to work shifts during evening and late night hours. The negative effects of this problem are compounded by job stress and traditional methods of scheduling work shifts. Sleep deprivation may be reduced by schedules designed to lessen interference with normal sleep patterns and circadian rhythms. Pharmacological treatments for sleep deprivation exist in the form of alertness-enhancing agents, caffeine and modafinil. Sleep-promoting agents may also help treat the problem by helping physicians to sleep during daytime hours. Minimizing sleep deprivation may help prevent job burnout and prolong the length of an emergency physician’s career.