According to a recent study performed by the Mayo Clinic, heart attacks that happen on nights and weekends are more likely to result in a fatality.
According to a recent study performed by the Mayo Clinic, heart attacks that happen on nights and weekends are more likely to result in a fatality.
That’s not because the body is more vulnerable during those times, it’s because hospital care is slower then.
Much of the delay in treatment was attributed to the number of staff available to help. Hospitals typically have fewer healthcare workers on the roster during the off-hours.
Some types of heart attacks proved more vulnerable to the lighter staffing than others.
Overall, heart attack victims are 5 percent more likely to die within the following 30 days if they went to the hospital outside of the weekday daytime window.
Those who suffer severe attacks during non-prime times have their chances of survival diminished by up to 15 percent.
The study’s lead author pointed out, “Patients do not get to choose when they have a heart attack. I believe the health system should be designed so that it provides consistent care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
The researchers came to their discovery by reviewing 48 previous studies involving over 1.8 million patients.
