Journal Mobile

Author(s): 
F Maggs, M Mallet
Journal Issue: 
Volume 40: Issue 2: 2010

Format

Abstract

 

Mortality among emergency medical admissions to hospital is higher for admissions at the weekend than on weekdays; this also holds true for certain specific  conditions.  However,  it  is  unknown  whether  that  effect  is  limited  to weekends. This  study  calculated  mortality  in  emergency  medical  admissions  for each  day  of  the  week,  and  compared  mortality  at  weekends  with  weekdays,  at nights  with  days,  and  in  all  out-of-hours  periods  with  in-hours  in  a  UK  district general  hospital. Total  mortality  was  increased  for  admissions  on  Mondays,  at night, and in all out-of-hours periods; late in-hospital mortality (after seven days) remained increased when the initial admission occurred on Mondays, at night or out of hours. It is likely that illness severity as well as resource and organisational factors are involved.

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