Reading in OR

[White Owl]

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CA1 here. I am getting more and more comfortable with my average daily scheduled cases. With that, I am noticing more and more down time during these cases. I would love to be able to bust out my Mass Gen handbook, or a chapter from M and M, but most attendings seem to frown upon reading in the OR. Im putting in 70 hours/week, so there isnt a whole lot of time to read at home and still stay sane. I was wondering if this is common at other programs?

 

[pgg]

Some people do. I don't. If it irks your attendings, don't.

 

[usnavdoc]

CA1 here. I am getting more and more comfortable with my average daily scheduled cases. With that, I am noticing more and more down time during these cases. I would love to be able to bust out my Mass Gen handbook, or a chapter from M and M, but most attendings seem to frown upon reading in the OR. Im putting in 70 hours/week, so there isnt a whole lot of time to read at home and still stay sane. I was wondering if this is common at other programs?

A way around that is to have photocopied specific review articles or text info about the case you are doing. No one should really complain if you are looking up info about the case you are doing.

 

[jwk]

You'll find widely varied opinions from absolutely NO to WHO CARES. Some will think ANY activity that diverts your attention from the patient is unacceptable. Others think that a little diversion actually keeps you a little sharper (don't want to doze off on a long case now, do we?) This very topic has been in the APSF newsletters several times in the last few years. Purely from a practical standpoint, I think bringing big textbooks in the OR is a little much. Smaller is better.

From a medico-legal or risk management standpoint - others WILL notice your reading / crosswords / web browsing on your iPhone. IF you have a problem during the case, you won't have a leg to stand on later, even if whatever you were doing did not contribute to the problem.

 

[pgg]

Purely from a practical standpoint, I think bringing big textbooks in the OR is a little much. Smaller is better.

I agree ... always felt that reading a text or review book just bordered on rude and obnoxious, as if you were telling the surgeons & scrubs & nurses that you were so bored by this trivial stupid case that you're going to devote your full attention to something else entirely. At least reading an article might be interpreted as thinking about that particular patient.

From a medico-legal or risk management standpoint - others WILL notice your reading / crosswords / web browsing on your iPhone. IF you have a problem during the case, you won't have a leg to stand on later, even if whatever you were doing did not contribute to the problem.

This is a good point too. I know people who minimize the computer recordkeeping program and bring up solitaire or minesweeper, or just surf the net, or read romance novels. They're on my short list of people I'd like to stab with a syringe full of succ.

 

[militarymd]

don't

 

[camkiss]

During residency (and now) I almost never read in the OR. There is no way you are not distracted from the case. In addition, in most cases, I stood the entire case. You will be amazed how much you can learn and how much better you can provide anesthesia if you know what is happening on the other side of the curtain. The surgeons and nurses/techs will respect you for it. Try it for a week or two and see if I am right.

 

[Bertelman]

Guess I'm just an A-hole, because I print out relevant articles to read during C-sections.

You can imagine what I do during robot cases. I don't bring in a major text, but I always have a pocket guide available. I just find staring at the same monitor tedious during the average case.

Haven't gotten flack about it yet, and it hasn't shown up on any of my evals.

 

[deleted126335]

.

 

[Precedex]

This is a good point too. I know people who minimize the computer recordkeeping program and bring up solitaire or minesweeper, or just surf the net, or read romance novels. They're on my short list of people I'd like to stab with a syringe full of succ.

Yeah I think it is reasonable to draw the line at romance novels. But I'm used to having the internet available in the OR. I would stay away from online poker for the most part.

 

[Jeff05]

read. just don't make it totally obvious. i would suggest reading topically - about a particular issue that THIS patient has. read package inserts for meds. i think this sort of learning is essential for coupling book knowledge and actual practice.
since we all know that the amount of teaching from most attendings during an anesthesia residency is absolutely NON-existent...i think it's OK to teach yourself something during the work day.

 

[morpheus md]

read. just don't make it totally obvious. i would suggest reading topically - about a particular issue that THIS patient has. read package inserts for meds. i think this sort of learning is essential for coupling book knowledge and actual practice.
since we all know that the amount of teaching from most attendings during an anesthesia residency is absolutely NON-existent...i think it's OK to teach yourself something during the work day.

I think this is a solid point. We in anesthesia spend less time being taught by our attendings than virtually any other residency.....and more time on our own warming a stool in the OR. What % time do you only see your attending at induction, emergence, and maybe a break or 2 throughout the day? Contast that with medicine, in which there teaching every day in rounds, or in surgery where the attending is in the OR, teaching the resident the case. I know the score and I'm far from complaining, but when I am the one in the OR doing the cases all day, if I feel like reading anesthesia, I will read....just pay attention to what is going on around you.

 

[loveumms]

I think reading is OK. Almost everyone at my program reads during long cases. I try to keep the small review books aroung like Faust Anesthesia review, Mass General handbook, Anesthesia secrets. That way I can ready one section at a time and I don't get too involved in any one subject as one would if reading a textbook chapter, deflecting my attention away from the patient.

 

[GuP]

Is there anything that may fit scrub pockets for anesthesia? Something similar to size in the popular Tarascom pockets available for medicine/critical care (little green book) or for drug references?

 

[Bertelman]

Is there anything that may fit scrub pockets for anesthesia? Something similar to size in the popular Tarascom pockets available for medicine/critical care (little green book) or for drug references?

Handbook of Anesthesiology

A little bigger than Tarascon, may not fit in some scrubs.

It's a good reference, but not much of a "read". If you know what you are looking for it should have the answer, but it doesn't provide much background.

Otherwise, just stick to Mass General or Secrets in the back pocket.

**bonus- they make your pants hang lower, giving that Phelps-esque look the ladies like. (pubic shaving not required)

 

[radslooking]

Handbook of Anesthesiology

A little bigger than Tarascon, may not fit in some scrubs.

It's a good reference, but not much of a "read". If you know what you are looking for it should have the answer, but it doesn't provide much background.

Otherwise, just stick to Mass General or Secrets in the back pocket.

**bonus- they make your pants hang lower, giving that Phelps-esque look the ladies like. (pubic shaving not required)

Yeah, no kidding. I was waiting for when Phelps pubes would go on full display this Olympics. Not hoping, expecting.