Korean Medical Education Review (의학교육논단)

Yonsei university college of medicine (연세대학교 의과대학)
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Prevalence of Operation Room-Related Syncope and Presyncope among Medical Students

의학과 학생들의 수술실 임상실습 중 실신 및 실신 전조증상 경험 빈도

  • Choi, Seong Jin (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine) ;
  • Park, Kyung Hye (Department of Medical Education, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine) ;
  • Han, Kyoung-Hee (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine) ;
  • Park, Eun Young (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Sung Hoon (Department of Surgery, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine) ;
  • Uh, Young (Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine)
  • 최성진 (연세대학교 원주의과대학 산부인과학교실) ;
  • 박경혜 (연세대학교 원주의과대학 의학교육학과) ;
  • 한경희 (연세대학교 원주의과대학 산부인과학교실) ;
  • 박은영 (연세대학교 원주의과대학 산부인과학교실) ;
  • 김성훈 (연세대학교 원주의과대학 외과학교실) ;
  • 어영 (연세대학교 원주의과대학 진단검사의학교실)
  • Received : 2018.05.02
  • Accepted : 2018.06.11
  • Published : 2018.06.30
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Abstract

Attending the operation room is an essential part of surgical clerkships. Syncope or presyncopal attacks in the operation room may negatively affect students' learning and career development. This study set out to identify the prevalence of syncope and presyncopal attacks in the operation room during medical students' surgical clerkships. Data from 420 medical students (303 men and 117 women) in their 3rd year of clerkship were collected between 2014 and 2017. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to assess the prevalence and degree of syncope and presyncopal symptoms. A total of 27% of the respondents had experienced syncope or presyncopal symptoms, 49.6% of the female students and 18.8% of the male students (p<0.001). Fifty students (43.5%) had been attending as observers at the time of the syncopal attack, while 65 students (56.5%) had been participating as assistants. Thirty-four students (29.6%) had recently eaten at the time of the syncopal attack, while 81 students (70.4%) had not recently eaten. Prodromal symptoms included the urge to sit down (21.2%), sweating (19.3%), nausea (16.9%), a feeling of warmth (13.3%), darkened vision (12.6%), yawning (11.7%), palpitation (11.0%), ear fullness (10.2%), black spots in one's vision (7.6%), and hyperventilation (7.1%). This study showed the prevalence of syncope and presyncopal symptoms in the operation room during surgical clerkships. For students' safety and effective clerkship learning, thorough proactive education on syncopal attacks is required.

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References

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