Anesthesia Technicians Research Articles

Prevalence of burnout syndrome among anesthesiologists, anesthesia technicians, and intensive care unit nurses in Palestinian hospitals: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundBurnout syndrome is marked by three primary domains: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment. This study assessed the prevalence of burnout syndrome among anesthesiologists, anesthesia technicians, and intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in Palestinian hospitals. In addition, this study also sought to assess associations and identify the factors that can predict higher burnout among anesthesiologists, anesthesia technicians, and ICU nurses.MethodsThis study was conducted in a cross-sectional design using a questionnaire between October 2023 and December 2023. The questionnaire collected the demographic variables of the healthcare providers, their living conditions, lifestyle, working conditions, job satisfaction, and intention to change the profession. The healthcare providers were included from 12 different hospitals. Burnout syndrome was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS-MP).ResultsA total of 250 healthcare providers were invited to participate in this study, of those, 212 completed the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 84.8%. Of the healthcare providers, 72 (34.0%) were anesthesiologists, 41 (19.3%) were anesthesia technicians, and 99 (46.7%) were ICU nurses. Of all healthcare providers, 151 (71.2%) reported emotional exhaustion, 125 (59%) reported depersonalization and 145 (68.4%) reported a lack of personal achievement based on the MBI-HSS-MP criteria for burnout. Multiple linear regression showed that higher emotional exhaustion scores could be predicted by the number of working hours per day (p-value = 0.039) and higher depersonalization scores could be predicted by having children (p-value = 0.001). On the other hand, lower personal achievement scores could be predicted by having children (p-value = 0.006), not owning a car (p-value = 0.036), and having more night shifts (p-value = 0.049).ConclusionsThe findings of this study indicated that burnout syndrome was prevalent among anesthesiologists, anesthesia technicians, and ICU nurses in Palestinian hospitals. Healthcare authorities and professional bodies should consider designing interventions to reduce burnout and improve the psychological well-being of anesthesiologists, anesthesia technicians, and ICU nurses. Further studies are required to identify the most effective interventions for reducing burnout among anesthesiologists, anesthesia technicians, and ICU nurses in Palestine.

Improving quantitative neuromuscular monitoring: an education initiative on stimulating electrode placement.

Quantitative neuromuscular monitoring reduces the incidence of residual neuromuscular block, but broad acceptance of monitoring has been elusive despite recommendations for quantitative monitoring for decades. Acceptance of quantitative monitoring may, in part, be related to the quality of the data from monitoring systems. This evaluation explored proper stimulating electrode positioning for electromyographic (EMG) monitoring, the impact of an educational intervention on electrode positioning and anesthesia provider (anesthesiologist, resident, anesthetist) confidence in the monitoring data from the device. In a single-center, observations of EMG electrode placement by anesthesia technicians, in 55 adult elective surgery patients were made by an independent observer. Separately, the anesthesia provider satisfaction with EMG derived data was recorded after reversal of neuromuscular block. An educational intervention then occurred on proper electrode positioning, including prior observations of electrode positioning, and prior anesthesia provider satisfaction with the EMG derived data. After the intervention, stimulating electrode position was observed with an additional 60 patients and anesthesia provider satisfaction with the data was again ascertained. The educational intervention significantly increased the proportion of ideal ulnar nerve groove electrode positioning from 74.5% to 95% (P < 0.003) and ideal wrist crease positioning (distal electrode within 2cm of crease) from 61.8% to 96.7% (P < 0.001). Anesthesia provider confidence with EMG derived information during anesthesia delivery, increased from 67 to 90% after the education (P = 0.005). There was a significant relationship between correct stimulating electrode placement and anesthesia provider confidence in the EMG derived data on neuromuscular block status. An educational intervention to improve EMG electrode positioning proved meaningful. It increased anesthesia provider confidence in the EMG derived data during anesthesia case management.

Comparison of sedation and general anesthesia protocols for 18F-FDG-PET/CT studies in dogs and cats: Musculoskeletal uptake and radiation dose to workers.

In veterinary medicine, PET/CT scans are generally performed with the patient under general anesthesia. The aim of this prospective crossover study was to compare the musculoskeletal uptake of 18F-FDG and radiation doses to workers during PET/CT studies of healthy dogs and cats between sedation and general anesthesia. Volume and maximal standard uptake values (SUVmax) values of abnormal 18F-FDG uptake in the skeletal musculature, presence of misregistration artifact, and radiation doses to workers for each PET/CT study were recorded. Sedation was associated with increased volume of 18F-FDG uptake in the musculature of the thoracic limbs (p=.01), cervical (p=.02), and thoracic (p=.03) spine. Increased volume and SUVmax of the musculature assessed altogether were associated with the lighter degree of sedation (p=.04 for both). A significant decrease in the odds of misregistration artifact was observed for anesthetized animals in comparison with sedated (OR: 0.0, 95% CI: 0.0-0.0, p=.01). Radiation doses to workers were significantly higher for sedation compared with general anesthesia (p=.01) and for the anesthesia technician compared with the nuclear medicine technologist (p=.01). Use of sedation for PET/CT studies in dogs and cats is feasible. However, it is associated with increased physiologic musculoskeletal uptake of 18F-FDG in the thoracic limbs, cervical, and thoracic spine, with increased frequency of misregistration artifact, and with increased radiation doses to workers. These limitations can be overcome by recognition of the uptake pattern and monitoring/rotation of the involved staff at institutions where a high caseload is expected.

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND AWARENESS OF ANESTHESIA TECHNICIANS IN OUR COUNTRY ABOUT AUTOMATIC EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED) DEVICES: SURVEY STUDY

ABSTRACT Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, experience and awareness of anesthesia technicians about Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) devices. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional-descriptive study. The population of our research consists of people who graduated as Anesthesia Technicians in Turkey. The online survey form contains a total of 28 questions, 8 of which are sociodemographic. The data was collected online between 05.01.2024-20.01.2024. The acquired analyzes were performed with IBM SPSS version 20.0 program. RESULTS: The total number of anesthesia technicians/technicians and students graduating by 2023 in Turkey is about 63763 people. With this number of graduates, a sample group of 382 people was predicted with a 95% confidence interval and a margin of error of 0.05. A total of 392 people were reached. The average age was 28±7.72 years. 71.9% of the participants were female, 64% were single, 48.2% had been working between 1-5 years. 27.8% of the participants received First Aid Training, 20.4% received AED training, 26.5% used AED, 39.3% reported that AED device should be used by anesthesia technicians, 79.8% reported that AED device should be available in the hospital. CONCLUSION: In the result of this study, it was determined that anesthesia technician(s) had limited knowledge about the AED device and its application, and those who got first aid training did not apply AEDs in training and on patients. It is also thought that it may be useful to have AED devices in hospitals. It is thought that trainings can be organized to increase the knowledge of anesthesia technicians/technicians about the AED device, and the AED device can be kept in the hospital, thus survival rates can be increased by early defibrillation of patients.

Intraoperative use of processed electroencephalogram in a quaternary center: a quality improvement audit.

Although intraoperative electroencephalography (EEG) is not consensual among anesthesiologists, growing evidence supports its use to titrate anesthetic drugs, assess the level of arousal/consciousness, and detect ischemic cerebrovascular events; in addition, intraoperative EEG monitoring may decrease the incidence of postoperative neurocognitive disorders. Based on the known and potential benefits of intraoperative EEG monitoring, an educational program dedicated to staff anesthesiologists, residents of Anesthesiology and anesthesia technicians was started at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in May 2022 and completed in June 2022, aiming to have all patients undergoing general anesthesia with adequate brain monitoring and following international initiatives promoting perioperative brain health. All the surgical cases performed under General Anesthesia at 24 daily locations were prospectively inspected during 15 consecutive working days in March 2023. The use or absence of a processed EEG monitor was registered. Of 379 surgical cases distributed by 24 locations under General Anesthesia, 233 cases (61%) had processed EEG monitoring. The specialty with the highest use of EEG monitoring was Cardiothoracic Surgery, with 100% of cases, followed by interventional Cardiology (90%) and Vascular Surgery (75%). Otorhinolaryngology (29%), Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (25%), and Interventional Pulmonology (20%) were the areas with the lowest use of EEG monitoring. Of note, in the Neuroradiology suite, no processed EEG monitor was used in cases under General Anesthesia. We identified a reasonable use of EEG monitoring during general anesthesia, unfortunately not reaching our target of 100%. The educational and support program previously implemented within the Anesthesiology Institute needs to be continued and improved, including workshops, online discussions, and journal club sessions, to increase the use of EEG monitoring in underused areas.

Ambient conditions of the operating theatre and its correlation with fatigue and sleep quality of operating room workers: a cross-sectional survey.

Anesthesia providers face numerous occupational hazards, including exposure to anesthesia gases, which can lead to fatigue. These professionals face challenges such as night shifts, OR stress, limited mobility and sunlight access, high workload, inadequate rest breaks. Health-related sociodemographic variables, such as smoking, sleep patterns, and obesity. Our research aims to explore various risk factors associated with fatigue among operating theatre workers including sleep quality. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 227 of operating room healthcare professionals from five tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia, for a period of 6 months, between January 1, 2023 to June 1, 2023. The study used a five-point Likert scale sheet and the FSS "fatigue severity scale" to analyze and measure fatigue and sleep quality. The questionnaire included all socio-demographic variables, work conditions, and fatigue severity scale items. The major findings revealed a significant correlation between fatigue severity scores and exposure to anesthesia gases. Socio-demographic variables such as smoking have showed major relevance to fatigue in the sample size, as (76.6%) of the participants that answered as regular smokers have showed result of positive correlation to fatigue and with a significant of (0.034). Out of the total sample, 76.1% were exposed to anesthesia gases once daily, showing a positive association with fatigue severity scores. Work-related factors like job experience and position also had a lower association with fatigue severity. p (0.031) Univariate logistic regression p (0.035). The study found that the work-related conditions like workload on Anesthesia technicians and technologists over 44 h per week and gas exposure is directly linked to fatigue severity and sleep quality so is the socio-demographic considerations. With poor sleep quality in younger staff which is documented in the study result a large-scale prospective analysis to understand the factors affecting OR staff's sleep quality and fatigue severity and what can be done to regulate working hours and break time and incorporate naps in to enhance patient safety and well-being for anesthesia providers in Saudi Arabia.

Factors associated with the quality of conflict management among anesthesia technicians

IntroductionA conflict arises when one or more individuals, groups or organizations disagree, creating internal or external tensions that can cause damage. This is particularly serious in operating theatres, where decisions involving life or death are common. Indeed, in this particular context, the multiplicity of stakeholders, the divergence of opinions and decisions related to patient care, the frequency of critical situations, stress and the limitation of resources are established causes of disagreement and tension.ObjectivesTo identify factors associated with the alteration of conflict management quality among anesthesia and resuscitation technicians (ART).MethodsThis is an observational, multicenter, cross-sectional and analytical study, enrolling all ART exercising at the two teaching hospitals of Sousse (Tunisia) over a two month period(March 1, 2022 to April 30, 2022). Conflict management was assessed using the Conflict Handling Style Scale.ResultsOur study involved 50 participants, only eight of whom reported having had previous training in communication and conflict management. Conflicts in the hospital were rated frequent to very frequent by 58% of participants. Task conflicts were the most reported (74%). The main causes of conflict were lack of leadership (60%), unequal distribution of tasks (42%) and workload (28%). The main repercussions of the conflicts were the delay in patients care (60%), therapeutic errors (42%), and the cancellation or postponement of some acts (34%). The main factors associated with impaired conflict management abilities were age&lt;40 years (p=0,03), tobacco consumption (p=0,001), and number of dependent children&lt;2 p&lt;10-3).ConclusionsIn light of our results, it would be useful and urgent to develop the soft skills of our human resources, particularly in terms of communication and conflict management.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Perioperative Health Care Professionals’ Knowledge of Evidence-Based Inadvertent Perioperative Hypothermia Management

PurposeTo evaluate the perioperative healthcare professionals’ knowledge of evidence-based inadvertent perioperative hypothermia management DesignA descriptive, cross-sectional study. MethodsThe research sample consisted of 219 perioperative nurses and anesthesia technicians working in the university hospital and participating in perioperative care. Data were collected by the researchers using a questionnaire that included descriptive characteristics of healthcare professionals and inadvertent perioperative hypothermia management between March and April 2021. Descriptive statistics, Shapiro-Wilk normality, Kruskal Wallis, Mann Whitney U, and Spearman correlation test were used to analyze the data. FindingsIn this study, only 29.2% of the healthcare professionals knew that the threshold value for inadvertent perioperative hypothermia was <36°C. The mean knowledge score of healthcare professionals on the management of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia was 13.78±3.47. The knowledge score of 79.5% of healthcare professionals was moderate level. A significant correlation was determined between inadvertent perioperative hypothermia management knowledge score and education status (p=0.032), task (p<0.001), and mean years in the profession (p=0.02). ConclusionThe knowledge of the healthcare professionals working in the perioperative process about evidence-based practices related to inadvertent perioperative hypothermia management was determined to be moderate. It is recommended to increase the level of knowledge of healthcare professionals by providing training on guidelines regarding inadvertent perioperative hypothermia management.

Psychological Safety and Hierarchy in Operating Room Debriefing: Reflexive Thematic Analysis

IntroductionDebriefing is a team discussion in a constructive, supportive environment. Barriers exist to consistent, effective team debriefing in the clinical setting, especially in operating theaters. The purpose of this study was to gain insights from frontline workers on how to set up an effective debriefing policy for our operating room. MethodsThis was a qualitative study in which we interviewed operating room workers in a tertiary children’s hospital. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. Data were analysed using the reflexive thematic analysis technique within a critical realism paradigm. ResultsInterviews were analysed from 40 operating room staff: 14 nurses, seven anesthetic technicians, seven anaesthetists, and 12 surgeons; 25 (65%) were female. The three key themes were (1) “commitment to learning”—healthcare workers are committed to teamwork and quality improvement; (2) “it is a safe space”—psychological safety is a prerequisite for, and is enhanced by, debriefing; and (3) “natural leader”—the value of leadership, but also constructs around leadership that maintain hierarchies. ConclusionsPsychological safety is both a prerequisite for and a product of debriefing. Leadership, if viewed as a collective responsibility, could help break down power structures. Given the results of this study and evidence in the literature, it is likely that routine debriefing, if well done, will improve psychological safety, facilitate team learning, reduce errors, and improve patient safety.

The Effect of Warmed Serum on Shivering and Recovery Period of Patients Under General and Spinal Anesthesia: A Randomized Clinical Trial

PurposePostoperative hypothermia followed by shivering is a common phenomenon in patients undergoing surgery under anesthesia, and should be prevented and treated in postoperative patient care units. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of warmed serum injection on postoperative shivering and recovery period of patients operated under general and spinal anesthesia. DesignIn this clinical trial, patients to be operated on under general and spinal anesthesia were randomly assigned into two groups of test and control. In the test group, patients received warmed intravenous fluids and blood products. All patients were monitored to record vital signs, incidences of hypothermia and shivering, and recovery period. MethodsThe collected data were analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance to detect significant differences between groups and significant changes within groups over time. FindingsThe incidence of nausea, vomiting, and shivering in the intervention and control groups was (4.7%, 42%), (2.8%, 16.8%), and (6.6%, 43%), respectively. Patients in the intervention group had higher body temperature than the control group (<0.001). Also, patients under spinal anesthesia had higher body temperature than patients under general anesthesia (<0.001). Blood pressure reduction was also significantly higher in the control group than in the intervention group. The patients who received warm intravenous serum, and especially those who had received spinal anesthesia spent less time in the recovery room (<0.001). ConclusionsThe use of warmed intravenous serum increased the patients’ core temperature, reduced their postoperative shivering, and shortened their recovery period. Considering the potential risks associated with hypothermia, using such methods for hypothermia prevention can be highly effective in preventing shivering and prolongation of the recovery period and other potential complications. Anesthesia specialists and technicians are therefore encouraged to use this method as a preventive measure.

Development of an Education Program to Address an Anesthesia Technician Shortage.

Development of an Education Program to Address an Anesthesia Technician Shortage.

Participation of Trainees, Trainers, and Program Directors of Anesthetists and Anesthesia Technicians in the Neonatal Resuscitation Program in Turkiye

Backgroun/Aims: The Newborn Resuscitation Program aims to ensure that healthcare professionals prevent complications that may occur in the baby, mainly due to asphyxia. Like some other health providers, anesthesia staffs also participate in this program. We aim to determine the rate of participation and contribution of anesthesiologists and anesthesia technicians to programs. We discussed why participation in this program is essential and what results in it will have when evaluated with the after-effects.&#x0D; Method: After the approval of the Gulhane Scientific Research Ethics Committee, the participant records of the courses, which has been organized since 1998, were examined. The records show the number of anesthesia staff according to the total number of people and their distribution by year. We compared total participants to anesthesia staff with the inclusion of trainees, trainers, and course directors in our country. The distribution of these sums and what these numbers might mean were investigated.&#x0D; Results: Only one anesthetist attended the first course as a trainee in 1998. The highest participation as anesthetist and anesthesia technician was in 2010, with 494 participants, 218 and 276, respectively. Since the beginning of the course, 2392 anesthesiologists and 3124 anesthesia technicians out of 75,256 trainees have received training. The average is 3.57 percent. Sixteen out of 47 anesthesiologists and 7 out of 11 anesthesia technicians actively contribute to the programs as trainers. Only five anesthetists and two technicians determined the course directors. All of those directors are active in the program.&#x0D; Conclusion: The number of trainers and course directors is relatively low compared to the total number of people working in the anesthesia branch nationwide. As anesthesia staff is critical for neonatal resuscitations, increasing anesthesia staff participation can significantly reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Improving Waste Segregation in the Operating Room to Decrease Overhead Cost.

Operating rooms (ORs) disproportionally contribute 20% to 33% of hospital waste nationwide and therefore have a major impact on hospital waste management. Seventy percent of general OR waste is incorrectly eliminated as clinical waste, which compounds unnecessary financial burden and produces negative environmental impact. The primary purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate the effectiveness of waste segregation education for OR anesthesia staff on improving waste segregation compliance in the OR. A waste segregation QI project was implemented at a 19-OR hospital. Sharps bins in each OR were monitored for weight in pounds and 6 ORs were monitored for percent compliance both pre- and post-institution of a waste segregation education. In addition, a waste segregation knowledge assessment, waste segregation barriers assessment, and a demographic survey were administered to anesthesia staff. Twenty-two certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), 13 anesthesiologists, and 4 anesthesia technicians responded to the initial surveys and assessments while 30 of these original 39 participants (77%) responded following the educational intervention. A cost analysis was calculated pre- and post-implementation by multiplying total weight of the sharps bins by the price per pound of sharps. Twenty-three percent of participants reported having formal waste segregation training. Survey responses revealed that the greatest barrier to waste segregation involved bin location (56.4%), followed by lack of time to segregate (25.6%), lack of knowledge of what content goes in the bin (25.6%), and lack of incentive (25.6%). A waste segregation knowledge assessment showed improvement from pre- ( M = 9.18, SD = 1.66) to post-implementation ( M = 9.90, SD = 1.64). Pre-implementation sharps bin compliance was 50.70% while post-implementation bin compliance improved to 58.44%. A 27.64% decrease in sharps disposal cost occurred following implementation, which is estimated to produce a $2964 cost savings per year. Waste segregation education for anesthesia staff increased their waste management knowledge, improved sharps waste bin compliance, and produced an overall cost savings.

Safety culture among operating room healthcare workers: still a long way to go. An analytical cross-sectional study from Turkey

Introduction: safety culture attitudes of health workers are still not at the desired level. Although the creation of patient safety culture is important for all health care environments, it is more vital for critical units. Objective: to determine the patient safety culture levels of those working in the operating room environment and compare them with the 2008 results of the same hospitals. Materials and Methods: an analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017-2018. The Turkish version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture was administered to nurses, anesthesia technicians, assistant physicians, and specialist physicians working in the Operating Rooms (n=258) of two university hospitals in Konya, a large city in Anatolian region of Turkey. Results: average percent positive response to the 42 items was low (41%, n=258). While there was no change in one dimension of the questionnaire compared to 2008; there was a positive change in 8 dimensions and a negative change in 3 dimensions. All 12 dimensions were lower than the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality score. Discussion: Despite many studies, policy developments and interventions on patient safety, the improvement of a patient safety culture is very slowly in Turkey as in other countries. Conclusion: non-reporting of errors and a punitive approach in case of errors are still considered the most important problems.

INVESTIGATION OF THE ANXIETY LEVEL DUE TO COVID-19 IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS WORKING IN THE OPERATING ROOM

Objective : With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals have been at the forefront of the fight against this disease. This infection, which affects the whole world, has created a situation that causes concern for healthcare workers. In this study, we aimed to examine the level of anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic in healthcare workers working in the operating room unit.&#x0D; &#x0D; Material and Methods: Doctors, operating room nurses, anesthesia technicians and operating room cleaning staff working in the operating room units of various hospitals in Malatya were included in the study. By sending the survey link via Whatsapp, the survey was answered via https://docs.google.com/forms. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale, developed by Ahorsu et al. was used in our questionnaire.&#x0D; &#x0D; Results: We found that the average of the COVID-19 anxiety level of the anesthesia technicians was statistically significantly higher than the nurses,operating room cleaning staff and doctors.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion: The provision of safe working conditions should be included in health policies in order to minimize the anxiety caused by the COVID-19 epidemic on healthcare workers.

A survey of operating theatre staff on the impact of automated medication dispensing systems in operating theatres in an Australian hospital.

There is a lack of published literature investigating the impact of anaesthesia-specific automated medication dispensing systems on theatre staff. This study aimed to investigate the perspectives of theatre staff from multiple disciplines on their experience using anaesthesia stations three years after implementation at our Western Australian quaternary hospital institution. A web-based survey was distributed to 440 theatre staff, which included consultant anaesthetists, anaesthetic trainees, nurses, anaesthetic technicians and pharmacists, and 118 responses were received (response rate 26.8%). Eighty-one percent of the anaesthetic medical staff responders reported that the anaesthesia stations were fit for purpose and 66.67% of the anaesthetic medical staff reported that they were user friendly. Sixty-seven percent of anaesthetic medical staff agreed that controlled medication (e.g. schedule 8 and schedule 4 recordable) transactions were more efficient with the anaesthesia stations, and 66.67% agreed that the anaesthesia stations improved accountability for these transactions. Sixty-seven percent of anaesthetic medical staff preferred to use anaesthesia stations and 21.2% of all the responders preferred a manual medication trolley (P ≤ 0.001). This survey of user experience with anaesthesia stations was found to be predominantly positive with the majority of theatre staff and anaesthetic medical staff preferring anaesthesia stations.

Investigation of the relationship between food consumption and emotions that show psychobiotic characteristics of healthcare professionals: Karabük province example

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between psychobiotic food consumption and moods in healthcare professionals.&#x0D; Material and Method: The research was conducted on healthcare professionals in December 2022. The research sample consists of healthcare workers over the age of 18 and at least secondary school graduates (physician, nurses, midwives, laboratorians, anesthesia technicians, audiologists, radiology technicians, medical secretaries, nurses, civil servants, psychologists and physiotherapists). A questionnaire comprised three parts. In the first part, there are questions containing general information about the demographic characteristics of the participants (age, educational status, profession, etc.). In the second part, the nutritional habits of the participants and the food consumption frequency form including the foods showed psychobiotic properties were used. In the third part, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used. Body Mass Indexes were calculated by measuring the body weight and height of the individuals. Statistical analyses were performed by using SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics 24.0) package program.&#x0D; Results: 88 (57.5%) of the participants were female and 65 (42.5%) of them were male. 57 participants (37.3%) were in the age range of 40-49. Negatively, weakly statistically significant relationship was found between the age and anxiety scale (rho=-0.208; p=0.010). A negatively significant relationship was found between the anxiety subscale and foods such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and oats/oat bran consumption (rho=-0.231, p=0.004; rho=-0.387, p=0.000). Fish and fish oil consumption and depression and stress subscales have been positively statistically significant relationship (rho=0.166, p=0.040; rho=0.200, p=0.013).&#x0D; Conclusion: The consumption of probiotics and psychobiotics is increasing day by day with the increase in the level of knowledge. Because psychobiotics have effects in alleviating anxiety, depression and psychological problems, it is thought that they may have positive effects, such as reducing the effects of factors that cause obesity, such as emotional eating. In this study, there are relationships between depression, anxiety and stress and consumption of psychobiotic foods, but there is a need for more detailed and large-scale studies as there are many factors that can affect the level of stress and anxiety.

Prevalence of Coronavirus Disease-2019 Among Anaesthesiologists and Anaesthesia Technicians in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq

Background: Anesthesiologists and their assistants, who have extensive skills and powerful impact, are major contributors to the COVID-19 management team. However, the procedures they perform expose them to the danger of infection. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence rate of COVID-19 among anesthesiologists and the assistant staff in Al Anbar Governorate and factors that might affect the rate of infection. Materials and Methods: A prospective survey study was conducted for the anesthesiologists and anesthetist assistants who worked in any hospital (12 in number) in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. The agreed participants were contacted by phone. Demographic and clinical data were recorded for each participant. Results: Of 214, there were 100 participants responded to the questionnaires with a response rate of 46.7%. The prevalence of COVID-19 among them was 93%. The majority of the subjects were from the age group ≤ 40 years (65%), males (67%), and non-smokers (73%). Most of the individuals were sub-staff (90%), with a service duration of 1-2 years (44%), work in the operative room (60%), and they were not worked in an isolation hall (58%). There was no statistically significant difference between infected and non-infected groups regarding the above-mentioned variables (P-value > 0.05). The majority of the participants (92%) were vaccinated. There were 4 out of 92 from the vaccinated group and 3 out of 8 from the non-vaccinated group got an infection with a statistically significant difference (P-value = 0.0001). The majority (83) of the participants were taken the Pfizer vaccine. Most of the infected subjects with mild severity. Besides, there was a statistically significant difference between COVID-19 severity and the timing of the infection (P-value = 0.0001). Conclusion: The prevalence of COVID-19 among the participants was 93%. Vaccination could have a protective effect against the disease.

Burnout Syndrome and its associated factors among anesthesia technicians in a Teaching Hospital in the central region of Tunisia

IntroductionBurnout (BO) is a syndrome combining psychological and somatic symptoms caused by exposure to several years of chronic stress at work. Far from being a theoretical problem, it is a real social problem that has become globalized as societies change. Anesthesiology is among the most stressful medical disciplines which expose to BO in Tunisia and around the world.ObjectivesIdentify associated factors to BO among anesthesia technicians.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study during two months, from October 1st, 2015 to December 31th, 2015, among anesthesia technicians affected in the different operating rooms of the Farhat Hached teaching Hospital in Sousse. Data collection was based on a self-administered questionnaire with validated tools assessing BO (Maslach Burnout Inventory) and stress (Siegrist and Karasek)..ResultsForty-six senior anaesthesia technicians was included in the study. The mean age of our population was 43.76 ±7.74 years with a female predominance (89.1%). According to the Karasek model, 59% of the workers were in job strain, and according to the Siegrist model 23.9% of the participants had an imbalance between high effort and low reward. The BO rate among anaesthesia technicians at the Farhat Hached University Hospital was 39.1%. The results showed a statistically significant association between working at the gynaecology-obstetrics department (p=0.001), the seniority in the department superior or equal to 20 years (p=0.006), the absence of break time at work (p=0.003) and the risk of the occurrence of BO. Furthermore, the last 2 consecutive day rest dates back to more than 15 days (p=0.001), the number of free weekends during the last 3 months less than four (p=0.044) were also significant associated to BO.ConclusionsOur study confirms that BO is a tangible reality in our country especially among anesthesia technicians, so it must be addressed by adopting effective preventive strategies.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Fitness to work decision for bipolar disorder patients : about 4 cases

IntroductionBipolar disorder or manic-depressive psychosis is a severe recurrent psychiatric disorder that, if left untreated, can lead to severe social harm, disability and neurotrophic changes in the brain. However, social and psychological factors play a key role in the onset and progression of the disorder. Therefore, a bio-psycho-social therapeutic approach in the form of an integrated model of “Collaborative Care” is recommended.ObjectivesDetermining the main factors interfering with the decision of fitness to work in bipolar disorders according to work requirements.MethodsClinical cases including health professionals (HP) was carried out. Cases were examinated at a specialized occupational health Clinics including HP between 2018 and 2022. Data was collected from medical records and by questioning patients directly in case of missing data.Results Four HP were included in the study. All suffering from bipolar disorder. The average age was 37 years [28,49]. All were women. Two were divorced and one single. Two anesthesia technicians, a nurse and a cleaner. Two were smokers. Two were transferred to another department because non psycho-education of colleagues at work, dealing with patients, verbal and physical agressivness and cognitive disorders. The two anesthesia technicians were judged unfit for work because of their work responsability and the need for the integrity of all cognitive faculties in the workplace.ConclusionsIn order to decide the fitness to work, occupational physician must consider both bipolar disorder impact and workplace exigency. The adequacy between disease stability and others security is iteratively revised.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared