Chronic Disease Questions Related

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It is the start of your second successive night shift on the labour ward. You have only managed to sleep for 4 h in the previous day. Your usual sleep requirement is 8 h per night. Appropriate statements regarding this situation include:

  • A. Your total cumulative sleep deficit is 8 h.
  • B. Your alertness will increase between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. due to natural fluctuation in your circadian rhythm.
  • C. Unintentional dural puncture during epidural insertion is more likely to occur during a night shift than during normal working hours.
  • D. Sleeping for an extra 4 h will eliminate the sleep deficit.
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Night shifts disrupt sleep and performance. After one night with 4 hours sleep (8-hour need), the deficit is 4 hours; a second night compounds it variably, but total' implies current state 8 hours overstates it without further context. Alertness dips 3-7 a.m. (circadian nadir), not increases, heightening fatigue. Night-shift studies (e.g., anaesthesia journals) show increased errors like dural puncture due to fatigue, reduced dexterity, and decision-making capacity, especially with sleep deprivation. Four extra hours reduce, not eliminate, a deficit if it's 4-12 hours cumulatively. Modafinil promotes wakefulness, not daytime sleep. The night-shift risk of dural puncture reflects fatigue's real-world impact on technical skills.