Caffeine Consumption Among Orthopedic Residents Is Higher Than the General Population

Abstract

Christopher Garrett, M Kareem Shaath and Frank Avilucea

Background: Orthopaedic surgery residency can be quite demanding at times and leads many residents to consume stimulants, caffeine, to perform their work duties.

Question/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate caffeine consumption among orthopedic surgery residents. We hypothesized that compared to the general population, residents will consume more caffeine.

Patients/Methods: An electronic survey consisting of 13 multiple-choice questions was created to query residents on their caffeine consumption. The survey link was e-mailed to all residency program coordinators in the United States who then forwarded the survey to their residents. A subgroup analysis was performed based on respondents’ post-graduate year (PGY), to identify variations in caffeine use.

Results: We received 209 surveys which represents 5.4% of orthopedic residents in the country. Of those 209 residents, 189 (90.4%) indicated regular caffeine usage. Of those who consume caffeine 59.8% indicated that they need caffeine to perform their work while 64.6% indicated that they are dependent on caffeine. Nearly one-fourth (24.3%) of respondents indicated that they consume more than 400 mg of caffeine/day. There were no significant relationships across resident PGY groups.

Conclusion: We have demonstrated a large proportion of orthopedic surgery residents consume caffeine. When used in moderation, caffeine can be beneficial by improving efficiency, alertness and memory however, in high doses it may have undesirable side effects. Level of Evidence: Level IV evidence

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