Without sufficient sleep and rest, the attention and vigilance of even the most stalwart worker is likely to fail. But, we don’t know at what point safety is actually compromised. How long do most of us believe we can work without a rest period or without a good night’s sleep? Do older practitioners require more or less rest than younger practitioners? Do most of us need periodic, short breaks? How long should those rest periods be?

Because anesthetic mishaps have been blamed on fatigue, it behooves the profession to determine what it believes to be reasonable work practices. To this end, we have developed a questionnaire to correct information and solicit opinions about work practices in anesthesia.

You will find a survey form facing this page. It is brief and anonymous. The results will be made available to all. If you practice anesthesia, we urge you to fill out the questionnaire and return it. It is preaddressed and requires no stamp. Simply detach, fold, and seal with the gummed edge.

Thank you for contributing in such an important way to the anesthesia profession.

For The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation

J.S. Gravenstein, M.D., J.B. Cooper, Ph.D., E Orkin, M.D., and R. Montoya