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Occupational Heat Stress, Thermal Comfort, and Cognitive Performance in the OR: An Integrative Review
Author(s) -
Byrne Jill,
LudingtonHoe Susan M.,
Voss Joachim G.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
aorn journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1878-0369
pISSN - 0001-2092
DOI - 10.1002/aorn.13009
Subject(s) - cognition , heat stress , perioperative , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , affect (linguistics) , cognitive skill , psychology , stress (linguistics) , medicine , physical medicine and rehabilitation , applied psychology , psychiatry , anesthesia , communication , linguistics , philosophy , atmospheric sciences , geology
Heat may cause a stress response in perioperative personnel who wear impervious protective surgical gowns that can trap body heat. Responses to heat may include changes in cognitive function, which may affect performance during operative and other invasive procedures. This integrative literature review sought to identify research articles investigating associations among occupational heat stress, thermal comfort, and cognitive performance. The review found that there is a paucity of research on this topic; however, articles that assessed cognitive performance under heat stress for foundry workers (n = 70), cyclists (n = 10), and untrained participants in simulated settings (n = 32) showed that heat may have negative effects on cognition by affecting memory, reaction time, and complex motor skills. Whether heat affects the cognitive performance of perioperative personnel is an important topic for future research.