Assessment of stress and autonomic nervous activity in Japanese female ambulance paramedics working 24-hour shifts.
OBJECTIVE
We studied the physical and mental conditions of 8 healthy young female ambulance paramedics working 24-hour shifts during their menstrual cycle, including assessment of cardiac autonomic nervous system activity by heart rate variability power spectral analysis.


METHODS
The autonomic activity during the awake period of on- and off-duty days in the follicular, late luteal, and menstruation phases was measured. Questionnaires regarding fatigue and menstrual distress were administered and correlated with the autonomic profile.


RESULTS
While degrees of fatigue significantly increased after work, the changes in autonomic activity during the awake period on on-duty days were not significantly different from those on off-duty days (LF/HF, p=0.123; HF/(HF+LF), p=0.153). As for the sleeping period, there were no significant differences. Although the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) revealed the presence of mild menstrual discomfort in the late luteal and menstruation phases, no significant difference was observed in the autonomic profile of the three menstrual cycle phases. No significant correlation was observed between the degree of menstrual distress and autonomic profile, though there was a significant correlation in the late luteal phase between degree of menstrual distress and fatigue after work (p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
These results showed that, while subjects experienced menstrual discomfort and fatigue after work, their autonomic profile did not alter in the menstrual cycle. It is suggested that healthy young female ambulance paramedics may tolerate 24-hour shifts, though attention should be paid to subjective menstrual symptoms and fatigue.
Graduate School of Emergency Medical Systems, Kokushikan University.
Ayako
A
Suzuki
Koichi
K
Yoshioka
Susumu
S
Ito
Yuko
Y
Naito
D000328:Adult; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D000552:Ambulances; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult