Mortality among adult patients admitted to the hospital on weekends

Background: Some reports have shown that the risk of death is higher for patients admitted on weekends than for patients who go into the hospital on weekdays. This study was conducted to assess what independent influence, if any, weekend admission might have on mortality in our hospital. Methods: The clinical data of 35,993 adult (> 14 years) patients admitted to the emergency department of Fundacion Hospital Alcorcon from 1999 to 2003 were analyzed. We compared global mortality and mortality within the first 48 h according to whether the patients were admitted on the weekend or on a weekday. Elective admissions, critical care patients, children under 14 and births were not included. Results: Global mortality was similar in both groups, but mortality within the first 48 h was higher for patients admitted on the weekend (OR 1.40, 95% Cl 1.18-1.62, P<0.001), even after controlling for age, gender and comorbidity (weight of diagnosis-related group and Charlson comorbidity index). Conclusion: The risk of mortality within the first 48 h is higher for patients admitted on weekends than for patients admitted on a weekday. (C) 2006 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.