A selection of abstracts of clinically relevant papers from other journals. The abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by John R. Radford.
Abstract
Zero tolerance, or does this paper offer 'a guide to safer use of alcohol among surgeons during their time on call'?
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Kirby G, Kapoor K et al. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2012; 94: 90–93
The authors recount a story, no doubt apocryphal, of a surgeon needing 'to take a taxi to the hospital on several occasions to complete his on-call duties because he was over [the] legal driving limit.' In this study, four ENT surgeons performed microlaryngoscopy on a manikin after consuming increasing amounts of alcohol. There was an association between deteriorating surgical performance and increasing volumes of wine consumed, although one glass of wine had no deleterious effect. After three glasses of wine, communication was impaired and 'participants began to use inappropriate language' with scrub nurses. Parallels are made between the exacting roles required from surgeons and pilots. Guidelines 'advise pilots to abstain from alcohol for at least 24 hours before flying.'
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The effect of alcohol on surgical skills. Br Dent J 212, 543 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2012.492
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2012.492