Surgical errors more common on the weekend

June 05, 2013 (Press-News.org) Surgical errors more common on the weekend

Article provided by Stampfle Law Firm
Visit us at http://www.stampflelawfirm.com

According to a study published recently in the British Medical Journal, patients who choose to have elective surgery late in the week are more likely to suffer fatal complications due to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.stampflelawfirm.com/PracticeAreas/Medical-Malpractice.asp]medical malpractice[/url] than those who have surgery early in the week. The findings of this study add to other research showing that emergency surgery patients run a higher risk of death if admitted on a weekend rather than a weekday. This is the first time that the so-called "weekend effect" has been observed in elective surgeries.

Researchers from Imperial College London examined data on inpatient surgical procedures from 2008 to 2011. Overall, they found that 4,133,346 patients received elective procedures and 27,582 patients died during the study period. Approximately four and a half percent of these procedures were performed on a weekend. Interestingly enough, patients admitted on the weekend tended to have fewer health problems and were undergoing less dangerous procedures than people admitted during the week.

The data showed that the risk of death to patients undergoing elective surgeries increased for each day of the week. That is, a person's risk of death if his surgery was performed on a Friday was significantly higher than a person's risk of death if his surgery was performed on a Monday.

More research is needed, but the study's authors have offered two possible explanations for the jump in risk of death during the weekends. First, researchers point out that patients admitted to the hospital for surgery on a weekend are more likely to be severely ill and in need of immediate care than those admitted on a weekday. Second, in most cases, any complications arising from surgery are likely to occur within the first 48 hours after the procedure. The staff numbers in most hospitals are reduced during the weekends, when things are generally less busy. Furthermore, in many cases, the staff working on weekends are less experienced than those working during the week. While none of these factors may be a problem on their own, when combined, they can create a significant risk of death.

Some doctors dispute the idea that reduced staffing levels over the weekend are to blame for the increase in deaths. They suggest that other factors - some of which may not have been identified by present studies - may be to blame. No matter the cause, it is clear that hospitals and doctors alike must continue to work to develop solutions to the problem.