Distraction Implications for the Practice of Anesthesia

Turn Your Attention to Distractions

“…2 Our ability to successfully detect and respond to changes relies heavily on situational awareness (SA) where there is a perception of the elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future. 3 Distractions involve "a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else" 4 or "something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention." Reading is considered a self-induced, internal distraction and was found to occur in 35% of cases, never during planned high workload periods, and no difference in vigilance was noted.…”

“…Distractions involve “a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else” 4 or “something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention.” Reading is considered a self-induced, internal distraction and was found to occur in 35% of cases, never during planned high workload periods, and no difference in vigilance was noted. 5 External distractions during patient care tend to increase in frequency as a surgical case progresses.…”