title: Accuracy of detecting changes in auditory heart rate in a simulated operating room environment.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brant
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ansermino
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000592:standards; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001288:Attention; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D009873:Operating Rooms; D011930:Reaction Time; D055815:Young Adult