Evaluation of Cognitive and Psychomotor Functional Changes in Anesthesiology Residents after 12 hours of Continuous Work in Operation Theater: An Observational Study

BACKGROUND: Prolonged working hours in operation theater may impair cognitive and psychomotor function. AIMS: This study was done to evaluate the changes in cognitive and psychomotor changes in the anesthesia residents after 6 and 12 h of continuous work in operation theater. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Sixty anesthesia residents whose working hours were expected to be longer than 12 h were recruited for this prospective, observational study. METHODS: The study consisted of a set of five tests used for assessing the cognitive and psychomotor functions. The tests were conducted for the participants at 0, 6, and 12 h of work and the total scores at the respective time period were noted. The tests were manual dexterity test using purdue peg board, finger tapping test, visual spatial capacity memory test, digit symbol substitution test (DSST), and frontal assessment battery. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The observations of the purdue peg board test, finger tapping test, and digit symbol substitution test at 0, 6, and 12 h were tested using the repeated measures analysis of variance and paired t-test. The observations of visual spatial capacity memory test and frontal assessment battery were tested using the Chi-square test. RESULTS: In the purdue peg board test, there was significant reduction in the mean number of pins assembled by the participants over 12 h of work. There was a significant difference in the number of finger taps by the dominant hand between 0 and 12 h and also between 6 and 12 h. In the visual spatial memory test, there was no significant difference in the performance of the participants with incorrect response at 0 and 12 h of duration. There was a significant decrease in the number of correct response among the participants in the digit symbol substitution test at 0 and 12 h of work. There was no significant difference in the scores obtained in frontal assessment battery test which was used to assess the cognitive function. CONCLUSION: There was a significant reduction in the psychomotor functions of the anesthesiology residents after 12 continuous hours of work in the operation theater and there was no significant reduction in cognitive function observed during that period.