Fatigue also places the health and well-being of the resident at risk:
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Needle-stick accidents that increase the risk of infection by blood-borne pathogens increase by 50 percent during night shifts, compared with day duty.
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The risk of motor vehicle collisions increases post call.
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One study found that pediatric house officers were at higher risk than faculty to fall asleep either driving or stopped at a traffic light (49 percent of residents, compared with 13 percent of faculty).
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Another study found that nearly 60 percent of ER residents reported a near-miss vehicle collision, 80 percent of which occurred after night work. The risk increased with the number of night shifts worked per month. The study concluded that driving home after a night shift appears to be a significant occupational risk for ER residents.
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Howard SK, Rosekind MR, Katz JD, Berry AJ. Fatigue in anesthesia: Implications and strategies for patient and provider safety.Anesthesiology 2002;97:1281–1294.
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Parks DK:Day-night pattern in accidental exposures to blood-borne pathogens among medical students and residents.
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Steele MT,Ma OJ,Watson WA,Thomas HA Jr,Muelleman RL.The occupational risk of motor vehicle collisions for emergency
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Kowalkenko T, Hass-Kowalenko J, Rabinovich A, Grzybowski M. Emergency medicine resident-related auto accidents-is sleep
deprivation a risk factor? Acad Emerg Med. 2000;7(5):451–9.