The impact of sleep deprivation in resident physicians on physician and patient safety: Is it time for a wake-up call?

Long work hours are a tradition in the medical profession, and work schedules are especially intense among postgraduate resi- dent physicians. However, because of the sleep loss and fatigue that result, these intense work schedules may pose threats to both physician and patient safety. Understanding the potential impacts of fatigue on resident physician performance and safety and using this knowledge to optimize shift schedules may reduce risks to both staff and patients. S leep deprivation is a logical consequence of excessive work hours and poses potentially significant problems for physicians and patients. Inadequate sleep may lead to poor health and could adverse- ly affect the medical care physicians deliver. Medical residents typically work shifts between 24 and 36 hours in duration on minimal sleep, and are at heightened risk for motor vehicle collisions, hospital-related injury and infection, 1