Daniel L. Roberts

A national comparison of burnout and work‐life balance among internal medicine hospitalists and outpatient general internists

BACKGROUND General internists suffer higher rates of burnout and lower satisfaction with work-life balance than most specialties, but the impact of inpatient vs outpatient practice location is unclear. METHODS Physicians in the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile were previously surveyed about burnout, depression, suicidal ideation, quality of life, fatigue, work-life balance, career plans, and health behaviors. We extracted and compared data for these variables for the 130 internal medicine hospitalists and 448 outpatient general internists who participated. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, hours worked, and practice setting. RESULTS There were 52.3% of the hospitalists and 54.5% of the outpatient internists affected by burnout (P = 0.86). High scores on the emotional exhaustion subscale (43.8% vs 48.1%, P = 0.71) and on the depersonalization subscale (42.3% vs 32.7%, P = 0.17) were common but similar in frequency in the 2 groups. Hospitalists were more likely to score low on the personal accomplishment subscale (20.3% vs 9.6%, P = 0.04). There were no differences in symptoms of depression (40.3% for hospitalists vs 40.0% for outpatient internists, P = 0.73) or recent suicidality (9.2% vs 5.8%, P = 0.15). Rates of reported recent work-home conflict were similar (48.4% vs 41.3%, P = 0.64), but hospitalists were more likely to agree that their work schedule leaves enough time for their personal life and family (50.0% vs 42.0%, P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS Burnout was common among both hospitalists and outpatient general internists, although hospitalists were more satisfied with work-life balance. A better understanding of the causes of distress and identification of solutions for all internists is needed.

Musical Hallucinations Associated With Seizures Originating From an Intracranial Aneurysm

Hallucinations are defined as sensory phenomena in the absence of external sensory stimuli. Auditory hallucinations have been shown to arise from many different intracranial lesions, but seizures manifesting as musical hallucinations triggered by unruptured intracranial aneurysms are rare. We present a case of persistent, episodic musical hallucinations associated with seizures that led to the discovery of 2 small intracranial aneurysms. Typical electroencephalographic findings for seizure activity were observed but resolved after surgical clipping of the aneurysms. Concomitantly, the patients hallucinations resolved. The literature on musical hallucinations is reviewed.

Burnout in inpatient-based versus outpatient-based physicians: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Burnout is a syndrome affecting the entirety of work life and characterized by cynicism, detachment, and inefficacy. Despite longstanding concerns about burnout in hospital medicine, few data about burnout in hospitalists have been published. PURPOSE A systematic review of the literature on burnout in inpatient-based and outpatient-based physicians worldwide was undertaken to determine whether inpatient physicians experience more burnout than outpatient physicians. DATA SOURCES Five medical databases were searched for relevant terms with no language restrictions. Authors were contacted for unpublished data and clarification of the practice location of study subjects. STUDY SELECTION Two investigators independently reviewed each article. Included studies provided a measure of burnout in inpatient and/or outpatient nontrainee physicians. DATA EXTRACTION Fifty-four studies met inclusion criteria, 15 of which provided direct comparisons of inpatient and outpatient physicians. Twenty-eight studies used the same burnout measure and therefore were amenable to statistical analysis. DATA SYNTHESIS Outpatient physicians reported more emotional exhaustion than inpatient physicians. No statistically significant differences in depersonalization or personal accomplishment were found. Further comparisons were limited by the heterogeneity of instruments used to measure burnout and the lack of available information about practice location in many studies. CONCLUSIONS The existing literature does not support the widely held belief that burnout is more frequent in hospitalists than outpatient physicians. Better comparative studies of hospitalist burnout are needed.

Hyperammonemic Coma in an Adult due to Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency

Objective. To report an unusual cause of coma in an adult. Design. Case report. Setting. University teaching hospital. Patient. A previously healthy 53-year-old man initially presented with altered mental status and progressed to coma. He was found to be substantially hyperammonemic and did not improve with lactulose therapy and continuous venovenous hemodialysis. Results. Biochemical testing revealed previously undiagnosed ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, and the patient responded to arginine, sodium phenylacetate, and sodium benzoate. Conclusion. Even in adult patients with no known history, inborn errors of metabolism must be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained coma. Defects of the urea cycle can present with an unprovoked hyperammonemic coma.

The Portrayal of Migraine in Popular Music: Observations and Implications

Objective.— To describe the manner in which migraine and migaineurs are depicted in popular music.