Reading in the OR

[Matty44]

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So I did a search but couldn't find what I was looking for....

There was a post by someone not too long ago about a NASA study about people doing secondary tasks while doing monitoring and I'm trying to track down that study. Our group is currently revisiting proper OR conduct in regards to books, email, etc. Anyone know?

Thanks.

Matty

 

[Dejavu]

Can't help with the study, but here reading other material, crosswords, internet cruising, and the like during a case is grounds for discipline and/or dismissal.

The institution has come down hard on this.

 

[Surfer]

Can't help with the study, but here reading other material, crosswords, internet cruising, and the like during a case is grounds for discipline and/or dismissal.

The institution has come down hard on this.

Wtf? Why? Is there any data to support that? I think I'd quit anesthesia if they told me I couldn't read in the or.

 

[WC2007]

at my institution, the anesthesiologists are all reading whatever they want. residents are mostly reading to study. some anal anesthesiologists go crazy when they see residents reading. so long a they are monitoring the patient and not distracted, it should be allowed - otherwise, so boring!

 

[pgg]

Effects of intraoperative reading on vigilance and workload during anesthesia care in an academic medical center.
Anesthesiology 2009 Feb;110(2):275-83.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19194155

Be sure to print it off and read it in the OR.


I don't read for entertainment in the OR. I think it's bad form, but more importantly when the day comes that I get named in a suit, I don't want to be known as the guy who reads Yachting Quarterly in the OR.

 

[IlDestriero]

Good Old Boat is what you want PGG.
That other crap is for the dreamers.
😀

Nothing pisses me off more than seeing the resident or fellow f'ing off, pleasure reading or surfing during a case. At least read anesthesia stuff or pretend to study.
We had one fellow that had a real problem with phone surfing and making long personal calls, including during challenging fellow level cases. If I'm concerned about the case, blood loss, etc.you better get your $ßit together. More than once I turned CNN, etc off and they ultimately got the come to Jesus talk. It was out of control and absolutely interfered with proper vigilance.

As an aside, I think we look like buffoons pleasure reading while the surgeons and staff are toiling away. Just as foolish as the preop and pacu nurses look shopping and surfing Facebook incessantly.

 

[Spinach Dip]

I am going to c/p a post I made here months ago, as it was on the same subject and my opinion has not changed.



As someone who is far more likely to be a patient than a practicing anesthesiologist in the near future....

I must say I fully support reading in the OR. I mean, I wouldn't want my anesthesiologist to be uncultured (or--heaven forbid!--bored for a few minutes). I'm sure that being on 2% sevo is no danger at all. All those PACs and PVCs can be dealt with later. And a run of Vtach makes the whole OR that much more interesting.

God forbid that I, the patient, should get in the way of you finishing 50 Shades of Gray before your wife.

 

[Ignatius J]

I see both sides of the issue. I do think, however, it's case dependant.

During a CT case for example, I don't sit, check my phone, or really even small talk except maybe when we are on pump.

However, during a 2 1/2 hour lap chole on an ASA 2 that the surgery intern gets to do, are you kidding me? The most exciting thing to do is check twitches every now and then. I'll check the email, return texts, or search for an interesting article to read while watching the patient. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

I am also willing to bet that those staunch against reading in the OR probably tend to be more in supervisory roles. In that case, I would tell them to remember how it was when they stayed in ORs for long periods of time with perfectly stabile patients while surgeons mucked around for hours.

One thing I will never do is take a personal phone call in the OR though. Now that is poor form.

 

[chessknt]

Good Old Boat is what you want PGG.
As an aside, I think we look like buffoons pleasure reading while the surgeons and staff are toiling away. Just as foolish as the preop and pacu nurses look shopping and surfing Facebook incessantly.

I agree, it definitely gives the impression that we should not command an MD-level salary. The problem is that intensely looking at stable vital signs is not really that much better--what else can you do during a stable period better than educational enrichment?