title: Male orthopaedic surgeons and anaesthetists: equally good at estimating fluid volumes (and changing light bulbs) but equally poor at estimating procedure duration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  How many orthopods does it take to change a light bulb? One - to refer to the medics for 'Darkness ?Cause'. Additionally, anaesthetists and surgeons often disagree on the estimated blood loss during surgery and the estimated procedure duration. We designed this study to compare the ability of orthopaedic surgeons and anaesthetists in: (a) estimating fluid volumes; (b) estimating procedure durations; and (c) changing light bulbs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants had to either be a specialist in anaesthesia or orthopaedic surgery, or a trainee in that specialty for at least two years. Three different fluid specimens were used for volume estimation (44 mL, 88 mL and 144 mL). Two videos of different lengths (140 seconds and 170 seconds), showing the suturing of a banana skin, were used for procedure duration estimation. To determine the ability at changing light bulbs, the participants had to match eight different light sockets to their respective bulbs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  30 male anaesthetists and trainees and 31 male orthopaedic surgeons and trainees participated in this study. Orthopaedic surgeons underestimated the three fluid volumes by 3.9% and anaesthetists overestimated by 5.1% (p = 0.925). Anaesthetists and orthopaedic surgeons overestimated the duration of the two procedures by 21.2% and 43.1%, respectively (p = 0.006). Anaesthetists had a faster mean time in changing light bulbs (70.1 seconds vs. 74.1 seconds, p = 0.319).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In an experimental environment, male orthopaedic surgeons are as good as male anaesthetists in estimating fluid volumes (in commonly seen surgical specimens) and in changing light bulbs. Both groups are poor at estimating procedure durations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Weiliang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Chee Hoe
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Diarmuid Paul
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000758:Anesthesia; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000379:methods*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000379:methods*; D010820:Physicians; D011340:Problem Solving; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: anaesthetists; fluid estimation; light bulbs; orthopaedic surgeons; procedure duration