The working life of a medical intern or resident is fast paced and includes long hours. Many get very little to no sleep while on duty. Last year duty hour standards for first year interns were revised to a limit of no more than 16 continuous hours. This was to help reduce the risk of fatigue-related errors when working a shift of up to 30 hours. A new study looked at whether protected sleep periods for interns on extended duty overnight shifts was feasible and would improve alertness. Catherine Dolf explains in this week’s JAMA Report.
