The anesthetic process was associated with statistically significant but clinically minor increases in anesthesiologists' heart rate (P=0.008) and blood pressure (P=0.001) compared to baseline.
Cohort (n=38)
Yes
Does performing anesthesia cause acute physiologic stress in anesthesiologists compared to a nonclinical day?
The practice of anesthesiology is associated with only minor, clinically insignificant manifestations of acute physiologic stress during the perioperative process.
p-value: p=0.008
UNLABELLED: Previous studies have indicated that many anesthesiologists exhibit symptoms of chronic stress. There is a paucity of data, however, regarding the existence of acute stress signs among anesthesiologists. Anesthesiologists from three practice settings (n = 38) were studied while they were anesthetizing 203 patients. Heart rate (HR) was recorded continuously and arterial blood pressure (BP) was measured hourly and immediately after each induction. Anxiety levels and salivary cortisol levels were also assessed after each induction. Comparison BP and HR data were obtained from the anesthesiologists during a nonclinical day. We found that anesthesiologists' HR increased during the anesthetic process compared with morning baseline HR (P = 0.008). This HR increase, however, was not clinically significant; the average HR during the anesthetic pro- cess ranged from 80 +/- 12 to 84 +/- 11 bpm. Similarly, although both systolic and diastolic BP after inductions were increased compared with baseline BP (P = 0.001), this increase was not clinically significant. In 9% of the inductions, however, systolic BP exceeded 140 mm Hg, and in 17% of all inductions, diastolic BP exceeded 90 mm Hg. Finally, the average BP of anesthesiologists during a clinical day was not different from the average BP during a nonclinical day (P = 0.9). Self-reported anxiety did not increase significantly after inductions (P = 0.15). An analysis of Holter tapes revealed no rhythm abnormalities and no signs of myocardial ischemia. We conclude that the practice of anesthesiology is associated with minor manifestations of acute physiologic stress during the perioperative process. IMPLICATIONS: Anesthesiologists experience minor psychologic stress while involved in the anesthetic process.
Kain et al. (Mon,) conducted a cohort in Acute perioperative stress (n=38). Anesthetic process (clinical day) vs. Morning baseline / nonclinical day was evaluated on Heart rate (HR) increase during the anesthetic process compared with morning baseline (p=0.008). The anesthetic process was associated with statistically significant but clinically minor increases in anesthesiologists' heart rate (P=0.008) and blood pressure (P=0.001) compared to baseline.