Association of Resident Duty Hour Reform and Neonatal Outcomes of Very Preterm Infants

Objective To assess the association of the 2011 Quebec provincial resident duty hour reform, which reduced the maximum consecutive hours worked by all residents from 24 to 16 hours, with neonatal outcomes. Study Design Retrospective observational study of 4,271 infants born between 23 and 32 weeks, admitted at five Quebec neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) participating in the Canadian Neonatal Network (CNN) between 2008 and 2015 was conducted. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were calculated to compare mortality and the composite outcome of mortality or major morbidity before and after the implementation of the duty hour reform. Results The mortality rate was 8.4% (218/2,598) before the resident duty hour reform and 8.6% (182/2,123) after the reform (odds ratio [OR] = 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.83-1.26). The composite outcome rate was 32% (830/2,598) before the duty hour reform and 29% (615/2,123) after the reform (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.77-0.98). In the adjusted analyses, the resident call-hour reform was not associated with a significant change in mortality (AOR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.91-1.50) or composite outcome (AOR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.74-1.03). Conclusion Reducing residents' duty hours from 24 to 16 hours in Quebec was not associated with a difference in mortality or the composite outcome of very pre-term infants.