High prevalence of burnout syndrome among intensivists of the city of Porto Alegre

Burnout syndrome involves emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and reduced personal achievement (PA).(1,2) Burnout is associated with absenteeism, physical illnesses, emotional problems, poor work performance and negative attitudes(3) and may result in decreased quality of medical care. The most widely used burnout syndrome measurement tool is the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).(4) Variations in burnout prevalence and severity are reported in all medical specialties.(5-8) Intensivists may have high burnout levels because of the stressful and demanding work associated with critical patient care.(6,9) Guntupalli and Fromm studied burnout among American intensivists(10) and found that 29% had high rates of EE, 20.4% experienced DP, and 59% felt low PA. Similar findings were reported among French and English intensivists, with the prevalence of moderate-to-high burnout ranging from 30 to 45%.(7,11) In Brazil, few burnout prevalence surveys have been performed among intensivists caring for adults.(6,12,13) Burnout syndrome is a work-limiting factor. Thus, this study aims to identify burnout among intensivists caring for adult patients in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil.