A recent study indicated that the mortality rate (death rate) in hospitals for heart attack victims is higher on weekends, and technologies available to save lives, known as percutaneous coronary interventions are not as accessible. The potential for dying seemed to linger long after the patient was discharged from the hospital. It is estimated that several thousand of patients die during the first year after a heart attack, if they were admitted during a weekend.
It would appear that the shortages of staff which occur on the weekends may be the main culprit in these health disparities.
Despite this, experts still warn patients to not stay at home if they feel they are having a heart attack, as their danger of dying is significantly higher at home, than in a hospital.
However, if one is not feeling well during the week, don’t wait for the weekend to take care of health concerns.
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