Mechanism of Pressor Response in Medical House Officers On Call
Authors: PHILIP S. MEHLER
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1987)

Brief Reports1 April 1987Mechanism of Pressor Response in Medical House Officers On CallPHILIP S. MEHLER, M.D., ROBERT J. ANDERSON, M.D.PHILIP S. MEHLER, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, ROBERT J. ANDERSON, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-106-4-560 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptBeing "on call" is a tradition in medical training programs. Some of the effects of being on call on house officer behavior include altered mood, decreased vigor, and impaired electrocardiographic recognition of arrhythmias (1-3). However, little information is available regarding its physiologic effects. We used noninvasive automatic portable blood pressure monitors to measure the effect on blood pressure and to elucidate the mechanism of the observed pressor response in house officers on call.Eleven white medical house staff (3 women and 8 men) with an average age of 28 years (range, 26 to 30) were randomly chosen to participate in...References1. FRIEDMAN R, KORNFELD D, and BIGGER J. Psychological problems associated with sleep deprivation in interns. J Med Educ. 1973;48:436-41. MedlineGoogle Scholar2. ZIEGLER J, STRULL W, LARSEN R, MARTIN A, and COATES T. Stress and medical training. Discussions. West J Med. 1985;142:814-9. MedlineGoogle Scholar3. FRIEDMAN R, BIGGER J, and KORNFELD R. The intern and sleep loss. N Engl J Med. 1971;285:201-3. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. LITTLER W, WEST M, HONOUR A, and SLEIGHT P. The variability of arterial pressure. Am Heart J. 1978;95:180-6. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. PICKERING T. Sleep circadian rhythms and cardiovascular disease. Cardiovasc Rev Rep. 1980;1:37-50. Google Scholar6. LINDHEIMER M and KATZ A. Hypertension in pregnancy. N Engl J Med. 1985;313:675-80. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. FLETCHER E, DEBEHNKE R, LOVOI M, and GORIN A. Undiagnosed sleep apnea in patients with essential hypertension. Ann Intern Med. 1985;103:190-5. LinkGoogle Scholar8. TILKIAN A, GUILLEMINAULT C, SCHROEDER J, LEHRMAN K, SIMMONS F, and DEMENT W. Hemodynamics in sleep-induced apnea: studies during wakefulness and sleep. Ann Intern Med. 1976;85:714-9. LinkGoogle Scholar9. FOSTER G, EVANS D, and HARDCASTLE J. Heart rates of surgeons during operations and other clinical activities and their modification by oxprenolol. Lancet. 1978;1:1323-5. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Beta-blockers in situational anxiety [Editorial]. Lancet. 1985;2:193. Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: PHILIP S. MEHLER, M.D.; ROBERT J. ANDERSON, M.D.Affiliations: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center Veterans Administration Medical Center Denver, Colorado PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byImpact of shift work on blood pressure among emergency medical services clinicians and related shift workers: A systematic review and meta-analysisApprenticeships Ease the Transition to Independent CallBlood pressure and heart rate of students undergoing a medical licensing examinationThe effect of stress and fatigue on cardiac rhythm in medical internsThe impact of the night float system on internal medicine residency programsStress in residency: Proposals for solutionPressor Response in Medical House Officers On CallSAMUEL A. BRODY, M.D. 1 April 1987Volume 106, Issue 4Page: 560-561KeywordsArrhythmiaBehaviorBlood pressureElectrocardiography ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 April 1987 PDF downloadLoading ...