Hospital Complications More Common on Weekends

Especially birth trauma and obstetric trauma after cesarean delivery

Hospitals in the U.S. are better staffed and have more diagnostic resources on weekdays than on weekends. Investigators retrospectively compared weekday and weekend complication rates using data from nearly 5 million admissions to acute care hospitals in New York and Massachusetts (1999–2000) and in North Carolina (2000–2001).

Weekend admissions accounted for 14.8% of total admissions. Of the four surgical complications examined (anesthesia, retained foreign body, accidental laceration, and hemorrhage), postoperative hemorrhage occurred significantly more often on weekends than on weekdays (odds ratio, 1.07), and anesthesia complications occurred significantly less often on weekends (OR, 0.86). Rates of complications associated with vascular…

Reviewing Author

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)