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Attention lapses due to sleep deprivation due to flushing fluid from brain

(news.mit.edu)
589 points gmays | 2 comments | 31 Oct 25 13:14 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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HEmanZ ◴[31 Oct 25 16:26 UTC] No.45773856[source]▶
I hope that the actual medical field starts taking note of this.

My wife still has to work 24 hour shifts with no sleep, performing emergency surgeries no matter how long it has been since she slept. During residency only a few years ago she and her co-residents were almost weekly required to do 36 hour shifts (on top of their regular 16 hours per day, 5 day per week schedule) and once even a 48 hour shift when the hospital was short staffed.

Of course I’m sure they won’t. No one cares if doctors are over worked.

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jdthedisciple[dead post] ◴[31 Oct 25 16:44 UTC] No.45774041[source]▶
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1. astrange ◴[31 Oct 25 20:13 UTC] No.45776199[source]▶
A surgeon is going to make more than an SWE. Also, surgeons are famously unhappy with anyone questioning any of their decisions.
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2. lostlogin ◴[31 Oct 25 20:37 UTC] No.45776437[source]▶
It’s an interesting paradox.

Imagine doing your best to help someone and they die as a direct result.

Then you get to go to work and deal with the next case.

Or the patient has life changing, negative outcomes. Damn, that bad. Next case.

Living in that mental state takes a pretty unusual character type. We can expect some extreme behaviour.

It’s also interesting watching the change over time. The trainee versus consultant, or the surgeon as they near retirement.

I’m not a surgeon or a doctor and so I see a small part of their world but see some of the perks (they get everything) and some of the downsides, and there are a lot.