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Accuracy of detecting changes in auditory heart rate in a simulated operating room environment *
Author(s) -
Chou E.,
Lim J.,
Brant R.,
Ford S.,
Ansermino J. M.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2008.05629.x
Subject(s) - medicine , heart rate , distraction , anesthesia , heart rate variability , audiology , blood pressure , neuroscience , biology
Summary The threshold for the identification of changes in heart rate and the accuracy in estimating heart rate were compared between 20 anaesthetists and 20 non‐anaesthetists in a simulated operating theatre, both with and without distraction tasks. Typical operating theatre distractions were simulated by requiring anaesthetists and non‐anaesthetists to perform secondary tasks. There were no differences found between the groups in identification of heart rate changes. The distraction tasks reduced performance in both groups (to a greater extent in the anaesthetists group). A change of > 10 beats per minute was required for 80% of the changes to be detected. An upward heart rate change was more easily detected than a reduction. Anaesthetists were found to be marginally better at estimating the heart rate change from an auditory tone alone. However, the study did not confirm that anaesthetists have a superior ability to detect changes in heart rate than non‐anaesthetists.