Open AccessRelationship between the depressive state of emergency life‐saving technicians and near‐misses
Author(s) -
Honno Katsumi,
Kubo Tatsuhiko,
Toyokuni Yoshiki,
Ishimaru Tomohiro,
Matsuda Shinya,
Fujino Yoshihisa
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
acute medicine and surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2052-8817
DOI - 10.1002/ams2.463
Subject(s) - confidence interval , odds ratio , logistic regression , major depressive disorder , medicine , depressive symptoms , psychology , cross sectional study , demography , psychiatry , anxiety , cognition , pathology , sociology
Aim A depressive state is a key risk factor for medical errors made by emergency life‐saving technicians ( ELST s). However, no study has examined the occurrence of near‐misses in ELST s. We investigated the association between a depressive state and near‐misses among ELST s. Methods A cross‐sectional study was undertaken in 345 ELST s using an anonymous self‐administered questionnaire. The main exposure was a depressive state that was measured using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology. For the main outcome, near‐miss events, we calculated odds ratios ( OR ) of depressive states, adjusted for age and work‐related factors by multivariable logistic regression. For exploratory purposes, we also undertook secondary analyses to determine whether work‐related factors were associated with a depressive state. Results We obtained 254 responses. Compared to ELST s without a depressive state, the adjusted OR for near‐misses among ELST s with a mild depressive state was 3.14 (95% confidence interval [ CI ], 1.37–7.16; P = 0.007), and that among ELST s with a moderate or greater depressive state was 5.29 (95% CI , 1.46–19.09; P = 0.011). For a depressive state, in the exploratory analyses, the OR of nap duration while on duty for less than 2 h was 3.34 (95% CI , 1.15–9.67; P = 0.027), that for irregular mealtime while on duty was 3.71 (95% CI , 2.00–6.86; P < 0.001), and that for a duration of desk work of 4 h or longer was 2.21 (95% CI , 1.15–4.25; P = 0.017). Conclusion A depressive state was significantly associated with the occurrence of near‐misses among ELST s. That a depressive state among ELST s was related to nap duration and excessive office work indicates that improved management of the work environment and operations of ELST s is necessary for the provision of safe emergency medical services.