Resident doc hours not tied to patient deaths: study

By Andrew M. Seaman New York (Reuters Health) – Restricting the number of hours doctors-in-training are allowed to work without rest hasn’t led to more patient deaths, according to a new study. Researchers found no increase in deaths over the three years following a rules change that restricted resident doctors to working a maximum of 80 hours per week. In fact, the team reports a decline in deaths during the fourth and fifth years. “This study is nice, because it shows that late after the 2003 changes there seems to be an improvement in mortality,” said Dr. …