What is fatigue?
Fatigue is a complex, but very real, interaction of physiological, cognitive, and emotional factors which result in slowed reactions, poor judgment, reduced cognitive processing of information, and an inability to continue performing a task or to carry it out at a high, sustained level of accuracy or safety. The most advanced state of fatigue is, of course, literally falling asleep. This is a serious safety issue because many catastrophic failures, including motor vehicle and railroad crashes, and other shift work tragedies (e.g., Three-Mile Island), often result from fatigued workers who literally fall asleep at the controls. However, most fatigue-related human errors resulting in serious, adverse health and safety consequences occur due to degraded performance before a person actually falls asleep “at the switch.” The pervasive problem of fatigue is due principally to one or more conditions including: lack of sleep; poor quality sleep (sleep that is shallow rather than deep); interru
Fatigue and Error Matthew B. Weinger, MD discusses the relationship between fatigue and lab error, as well as steps managers can take to reduce the effects of fatigue in the lab. What is the relationship between fatigue and lab error, and what can lab leaders do to minimize problems caused by fatigue? This interview with Dr. Matthew B. Weinger addresses the relationship between fatigue and error. Dr. Weinger is the director of the center for perioperative research in quality, the Norman Ty Smith chair in patient safety and medical simulation, and professor of anesthesiology, biomedical informatics and medical education at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He also practices at the Middle Tennessee VA Healthcare System. Michael Astion, MD, PhD conducted this interview. MBW Lecturing Dr. Weinger teaches and conducts research in patient safety, human factors, and clinical decision making.
Fatigue is the feeling of extreme tiredness or exhaustion, often involving muscle weakness, that can result in difficulty performing tasks. It has been compared to the tired and achy feeling one has when experiencing a bout with the flu. Fatigue is a frequent and troubling symptom of many types of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, such as lupus. It may be due to many causes, such as illness, depression, joint and muscle pain, stress, overextending yourself, poor sleep, anemia, or a lack of physical activity. The symptoms of fatigue vary from person to person. They may last a long time or only a short time. They may strike at any time or may be predictable. There are many things you can do to help decrease the effects of fatigue. Knowing how it affects you will help you manage it better.Fatigue and arthritisFatigue is problematic, especially for those people with chronic conditions like arthritis.
The creation of energy requires that you receive all the substances necessary and in about the right proportions (food, air, and water). These substances are broken down (digested), and absorbed in your intestinal tract, lungs and sometimes through your skin. The nutrients and substances necessary for your body’s energy then need to be transported efficiently (through the actions of your heart, blood vessels, and cell membranes) to your cells, which receive them and then make energy from them. A feeling of health and vitality is also dependent on your body being able to remove all of the waste products that result from the energy production process. A problem in any of these areas can decrease your feeling of energy and lead to a feeling of fatigue. Fatigue is a symptom rather than a disease, even if it is experienced all of the time. Fatigue is a symptom associated with many conditions and diseases and is not just related to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which is a condition that is d
