Shift Length and Shift Length Preference Among Acute Care Surgeons.

BACKGROUND: Work hour restrictions have been imposed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education since 2003 for medical trainees. Many acute care surgeons currently work longer shifts but their preferred shift length is not known. METHODS: The purpose of this study was to characterize the distribution of the current shift length among trauma and acute care surgeons and to identify the surgeons' preference for shift length. Data collection included a questionnaire with a national administration. Frequencies and percentages are reported for categorical variables and medians and means with SDs are reported for continuous variables. A chi-square test of independence was performed to examine the relation between call shift choice and trauma center level (level 1 and level II), age, and gender. RESULTS: Data from 301 surgeons in 42 states included high-level trauma centers. Assuming the number of trauma surgeons in the United States is 4129, a sample of 301 gives the survey a 5% margin of error. The median age was 43 years (M = 46, SD = 9.44) and 33% were female. Currently, only 23.3% of acute care surgeons work a 12-hour shift, although 72% prefer the shorter shift. The preference for shorter shifts was statistically significant. There was no significant difference between call shift length preference and trauma center level, age, or gender. CONCLUSION: Most surgeons currently work longer than 12-hour shifts. Yet, there was a preference for 12-hour shifts indicating there is a gap between current and preferred shift length. These findings have the potential to substantially impact staffing models.

Factors affecting conviction rates of intoxicated driver patients in two large trauma centers.

OBJECTIVE: Outcomes from previous studies report the driving under the influence (DUI) conviction rates for trauma patients in several cities within Canada and the United States over the last 2 decades. This study reports charge, conviction, and prosecution rates for trauma patients at 2 level I trauma centers servicing a large metropolitan city. METHODS: A retrospective review of the trauma databases was completed to identify patients meeting inclusion criteria. Four hundred sixty patients were identified and their records were compared with the district attorney's records for DUI charges and convictions. RESULTS: The conviction rate for this study was 8.7%, demonstrating continued low rates of conviction despite growing interest and public awareness of drinking and driving. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss legal considerations that providers should consider when treating patients who have been drinking and driving.

Natural history and clinical implications of nondepressed skull fracture in young children.

BACKGROUND: Head injury is the most common cause of neurologic disability and mortality in children. Previous studies have demonstrated that depressed skull fractures (SFs) represent approximately one quarter of all SFs in children and approximately 10% percent of hospital admissions after head injury. We hypothesized that nondepressed SFs (NDSFs) in children are not associated with adverse neurologic outcomes. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for all children 5 years or younger with SFs who presented to our Level I trauma center during a 4-year period. Data collected included patient demographics, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at admission, level of consciousness at the time of injury, type of SF (depressed SF vs. NDSF), magnitude of the SF depression, evidence of neurologic deficit, and the requirement for neurosurgical intervention. RESULTS: We evaluated 1,546 injured young children during the study period. From this cohort, 563 had isolated head injury, and 223 of them had SF. Of the SF group, 163 (73%) had NDSFs, of whom 128 (78%) presented with a GCS score of 15. None of the NDSF patients with a GCS score of 15 required neurosurgical intervention or developed any neurologic deficit. Of the remaining 35 patients with NDSF and GCS score less than 15, 7 (20%) had a temporary neurologic deficit that resolved before discharge, 4 (11%) developed a persistent neurologic deficit, and 2 died (6%). CONCLUSION: Children 5 years or younger with NDSFs and a normal neurologic examination result at admission do not develop neurologic deterioration. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Epidemiological study, level III.