Just over a year ago, researchers demonstrated that excessive alcohol consumption (>11% via breath analyzer) would affect cognitive function the following day. They theorized that under similar circumstances, physical performance might fail.
So earlier this month in Archives of Surgery, authors randomized 16 students to excessive alcohol consumption vs placebo after first teaching them baseline laparoscopic skills. They also monitored 8 laparoscopic experts before and after consuming excessive alcohol. As expected, performance skills lagged at 9AM and even 1PM. But in the biggest surprise, laparoscopic performance failed to return back to baseline by 4PM after the equivalent of a night on the town.
So earlier this month in Archives of Surgery, authors randomized 16 students to excessive alcohol consumption vs placebo after first teaching them baseline laparoscopic skills. They also monitored 8 laparoscopic experts before and after consuming excessive alcohol. As expected, performance skills lagged at 9AM and even 1PM. But in the biggest surprise, laparoscopic performance failed to return back to baseline by 4PM after the equivalent of a night on the town.
The point of mentioning this study is not so much to denigrate all surgeons but to increase awareness that cognitive impairment & loss of physical performance might last well into the following afternoon after a night of excessive alcohol consumption. So think twice before going out for a binge, especially if you have something important to do the next day, whether cognitive or physical!
Nice information. Thanks for sharing your blog.
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