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Heart rate variability changes in physicians working on night call.

Malmberg, Birgitta LU ; Persson, Roger LU orcid ; Flisberg, Per LU and Örbaek, Palle LU (2011) In International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 84(3). p.293-301
Abstract
PURPOSE: Adverse effects by night-call duty have become an important occupational health issue. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the heart rate variability (HRV) differed during recovery from day work and night-call duty between distinct physician specialities. METHODS: We studied the impact of a 16-h night-call duty on autonomic balance, measured by HRV, among two physician groups differing with respect to having to deal with life-threatening conditions while on call. Nineteen anaesthesiologists (ANEST) and 16 paediatricians and ear, nose and throat surgeons (PENT) were monitored by ambulatory digital Holter electrocardiogram (ECG). Heart rate variability was analysed between 21:00 and 22:00 after an ordinary workday, on... (More)
PURPOSE: Adverse effects by night-call duty have become an important occupational health issue. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the heart rate variability (HRV) differed during recovery from day work and night-call duty between distinct physician specialities. METHODS: We studied the impact of a 16-h night-call duty on autonomic balance, measured by HRV, among two physician groups differing with respect to having to deal with life-threatening conditions while on call. Nineteen anaesthesiologists (ANEST) and 16 paediatricians and ear, nose and throat surgeons (PENT) were monitored by ambulatory digital Holter electrocardiogram (ECG). Heart rate variability was analysed between 21:00 and 22:00 after an ordinary workday, on night call and in the evening post-call. Absolute and normalized high-frequency power (HF, HFnu) were the main outcome variables, expressing parasympathetic influence on the heart. RESULTS: ANEST had lower HF power than PENT while on night call and post-daytime work (p < 0.05), but not at post-night call. In the whole group of physicians, HFnu was lower on call and post-daytime work compared with post-night-call duty (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The physiological recovery after night duty seemed sufficient in terms of HRV patterns for HFnu, reflecting autonomic balance and did not differ between specialities. However, the less dynamic HRV after daytime work and during night-call duty in the ANEST group may indicate a higher physiological stress level. These results may contribute to the improvement of night-call schedules within the health care sector. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Biomarker, Anaesthesiologist, Cardiovascular, Occupation, Shift work, Stress
in
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
volume
84
issue
3
pages
293 - 301
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000287247400008
  • pmid:21107598
  • scopus:79955952151
  • pmid:21107598
ISSN
1432-1246
DOI
10.1007/s00420-010-0593-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c9b35341-10dc-44da-ae98-ac796ec7097b (old id 1731547)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21107598?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:32:50
date last changed
2023-10-04 13:35:30
@article{c9b35341-10dc-44da-ae98-ac796ec7097b,
  abstract     = {{PURPOSE: Adverse effects by night-call duty have become an important occupational health issue. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the heart rate variability (HRV) differed during recovery from day work and night-call duty between distinct physician specialities. METHODS: We studied the impact of a 16-h night-call duty on autonomic balance, measured by HRV, among two physician groups differing with respect to having to deal with life-threatening conditions while on call. Nineteen anaesthesiologists (ANEST) and 16 paediatricians and ear, nose and throat surgeons (PENT) were monitored by ambulatory digital Holter electrocardiogram (ECG). Heart rate variability was analysed between 21:00 and 22:00 after an ordinary workday, on night call and in the evening post-call. Absolute and normalized high-frequency power (HF, HFnu) were the main outcome variables, expressing parasympathetic influence on the heart. RESULTS: ANEST had lower HF power than PENT while on night call and post-daytime work (p &lt; 0.05), but not at post-night call. In the whole group of physicians, HFnu was lower on call and post-daytime work compared with post-night-call duty (p &lt; 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The physiological recovery after night duty seemed sufficient in terms of HRV patterns for HFnu, reflecting autonomic balance and did not differ between specialities. However, the less dynamic HRV after daytime work and during night-call duty in the ANEST group may indicate a higher physiological stress level. These results may contribute to the improvement of night-call schedules within the health care sector.}},
  author       = {{Malmberg, Birgitta and Persson, Roger and Flisberg, Per and Örbaek, Palle}},
  issn         = {{1432-1246}},
  keywords     = {{Biomarker; Anaesthesiologist; Cardiovascular; Occupation; Shift work; Stress}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{293--301}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health}},
  title        = {{Heart rate variability changes in physicians working on night call.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00420-010-0593-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00420-010-0593-4}},
  volume       = {{84}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}