Hospitals alerted to fatigue’s dangers

The Joint Commission has issued a sentinel-event alert saying drowsy health professionals are likelier to be involved in adverse events than their well-rested counterparts. The commission advised the more than 6,500 hospitals and other health care organizations it accredits to take steps to mitigate the risks of such fatigue.

The December 2011 action comes amid more pushback against the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s resident work-hour restrictions, with research published in December 2011 linking the limitations with more complications among neurosurgery patients.

My latest. Read the whole shebang.