Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The New York Times - September 12, 2006
Eric Nagourney
Extended Work Duration and the Risk of Self-reported Percutaneous Injuries in Interns (JAMA)
Researchers had already established that the exhaustion that comes with being on call for 24 hours or more leads to problems away from the hospital, like car accidents. But this study suggests that doctors may also be in some danger at work, since needle sticks can expose medical workers to H.I.V. and hepatitis.
The study, published in the current Journal of the American Medical Association, was led by Dr. Najib T. Ayas of the Harvard affiliate Brigham and Women's Hospital. The findings were based on a survey of more than 2,700 doctors in the first year of their internship. Each month, the doctors reported information about their work schedules and whether they had been exposed to any potentially contaminated body fluids.
In all, more than 1,500 interns reported having been exposed. Of these incidents, about 500 involved needles, scalpels or other sharp objects. The most common factors leading to accidents cited by the interns were fatigue or a lapse in concentration.
But when the researchers looked at the timing of the incidents, they found that accidents were much more likely to happen when the interns were working extended shifts and when they were working at night. The study said hospitals should take fatigue into account in coming up with safety programs.
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