Objective: The work of health professionals in hospital emergency rooms is highly demanding due to the decisions they must take. In the present study, we consider assessing stress response in emergency health workers, measuring related biomarkers such as cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and salivary α-amylase during the whole working day.
Method: An analytical, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out. The study was conducted in the emergency rooms of two public hospitals. Ninety-seven professionals participated, 45 corresponding to one hospital and 52 to the other. Four salivary samples were obtained according to circadian rhythms: at 8:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 00:00 h/24 h. The data were subsequently analyzed.
Results: Cortisol levels decreased throughout the working day, with minimum values being at 24 h. A similar pattern was observed in DHEA. The α-amylase levels increased throughout the working day, reaching its peak at 15:00 h, and decreasing at 24 h, compared to the data from the rest of the working day.
Conclusions: Since reference/baseline values are not presented, this work is focused on a stress situation experienced during one regular working day in emergency rooms with no extreme situations. In this context, stress, measured through cortisol and α-amylase, is present in emergency room doctors and nurses. However, the increase in DHEA, due to its anabolic condition, could counteract their effect, suggesting a positive effect on their professional actions.
Keywords: DHEA; amylase; cortisol; emergencies; health professionals; stress.