Why is resident overwork a hazard for residents?
The literature makes a compelling case for the reduction of resident work hours in three specific health areas – car accidents, depression, and pregnancy complications: • One study found that 49% of residents reported falling asleep at the wheel during their residency – much higher than the percentage of attendings. (Sleep 1996;19:763-766) • In an examination of depression among residents (a prevalent condition to begin with), investigators found that depressed responses were most frequently received on those rotations that routinely required over 80 hours per week. (Arch Int Med 1985; 145:286-288) • Investigators asked 1025 female board certified obstetricians about their pregnancies before, during and after residency. The mean number of hours worked during residency was 78.9, compared to 36.4 before residency and 46.5 after residency. Infants delivered during residency were significantly more likely to be growth retarded (8.2% vs. 1.2% before residency and 1.0% after residency) and l
