Background Making the right decision in stressful situations is required for goal-oriented action in cardiac surgery. Current labor laws prevent residents to be subjected to situations that test their stress tolerance. These situations often occur only later in the career. We simulated such conditions in a structured non-stop 36-hour cardiac surgical training course and assessed the participant's performance.

Methods Fourteen advanced residents/junior staff surgeons were selected. The course was conducted in collaboration with the national antiterror police forces that provided coaching for teamplay, leadership, and responsibility awareness. The candidates attended graded and evaluated workshops/lectures and performed academic and surgical tasks. Psychological and surgical skill assessments were conducted at times 0, 12, 24, 36 hours.

Results Progressive reductions in individual motivation, associated with increased stress and irritability levels, worsening mood, and fatigue were observed. Long- and short-term memory functions were unaffected and practical surgical performance even increased over time.

Conclusion Among the candidates, 36 hours of sleep deprivation did not lead to relevant changes in the skills required from a cardiac surgeon in daily life. Importantly, group dynamics substantially improved during the course, suggesting advances in the perception of responsibility and teamwork.

背景 在心脏手术中以目标为导向的行动需要在压力情况下做出正确的决定。现行劳动法禁止居民面临考验其压力承受能力的情况。这些情况通常只发生在职业生涯的后期。我们在结构化的 36 小时不间断心脏外科培训课程中模拟了此类情况，并评估了参与者的表现。

方法 选择14名高级住院医师/初级外科医生。该课程是与国家反恐警察部队合作举办的，为团队合作、领导力和责任意识提供指导。候选人参加了分级和评估的研讨会/讲座，并执行了学术和外科任务。在第0、12、24、36小时进行心理和手术技能评估。

结果 观察到个人积极性逐渐下降，与压力和烦躁程度增加、情绪恶化和疲劳有关。长期和短期记忆功能不受影响，实际手术性能甚至随着时间的推移而提高。

结论 在候选人中，36小时的睡眠剥夺并没有导致心脏外科医生日常生活所需技能的相关变化。重要的是，在课程期间，团队活力得到了显着改善，这表明责任感和团队合作的观念有所进步。