Most anaesthetists see colleague on phone in surgery

We’ve all heard the message “don’t use your smartphone while driving” — but anaesthetists may benefit from a similar message in the operating theatre.

A survey of smartphone use among anaesthetists in Saolta University Healthcare Group found that almost seven in 10 witnessed another anaesthetist distracted by smartphones at least once; 45.3% witnessed distraction a few times; and 16.8% several times.

A “common theme” from consultants who responded to the survey, published in the Irish Medical Journal, “was the concern about distraction to trainees (anaesthetists) by smartphones, mainly when used in operating rooms”.