Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Anesthesia and Critical Care Residents in Spain

Abstract

Background: The pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has substantially changed the activity in Spanish healthcare centers. Residents who face pandemics are vulnerable physicians with different knowledge and experience. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the Anesthesia and Critical Care residents and to establish its formative and personal consequences. Methods: A 35-question digital survey was developed, and was distributed among Anesthesia and Critical Care residents in Spain. The quantitative variable "Objective Formative Impact Score" (PIOF) was defined, being proportional to the impact on formative routines. Results: Several parameters were associated to a higher formative impact, such as the exposition to patients with COVID-19 (P = 0,020), an increase in the autonomy (P = 0,001), fear to contagion due to lack of protective equipment (P = 0,003), working in higher incidence areas (P < 0,001), being assigned to COVID-19 critical care units (P < 0,001), or to other departments different from Anesthesia and Critical Care. Residents experienced feelings of loneliness from the social distancing or ethical conflicts when working in suboptimal conditions. Conclusions: COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on Anesthesia and Critical Care residents both personally and formatively. The designed parameter PIOF brings an objective value about residents' formation.

Registrars’ perspectives towards virtual teaching in an academic department during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“…Similarly the study by Rana et al [27] of surgical residents found that COVID-19 brought about a state of consternation in both their personal lives and their training. The study by Aisa et al [31] noted that COVID-19 resulted in disruption to training of Anaesthesia and Critical care residents in Spain. In this study a number of the registrars noted that COVID-19 would result in their training being disrupted.The participants also indicated that they were anxious because of the COVID-19 disease and its possible effects on their learning.…”

Investigating the Effect of Expiratory Time Constant on Outcome in Intubated Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure Caused by COVID-19 in Critical Care Unit: A Research Study

“…Human life has been impressed by the advent of this disease, both personally and professionally. e.g., in critical care of residents and physicians' lives, compared to the previous coronavirus epidemics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)) ( 2 , 3 ). The virus is rapidly spread through close contact, often via small droplets produced by coughing, sneezing, or talking.…”