Patients in hospitals most often die on weekends

Eight years ago, British researchers began to study the dynamics of in-patient lethal outcomes over the weekend. Researchers at the reputable college - Imperial College London found that in the two years from 2005 to 2006, about 3500 patients died in hospitals in England, who were clinically curable, that is, with proper professional help, they could have been save.

Scientists do not violate the unspoken rules of medical brotherhood, blaming the negligence of doctors, on the contrary, the reason, according to researchers, is that on Saturday and Sunday the patients remain under the control of average personnel who simply can not provide urgent help in critical situations, for example, carry out the operation. According to the approved state regulations, the bulk of surgeons, cardiologists and other high-class specialists are sent to rest, which is quite normal, however, the existing system of duty does not allow to provide the necessary number of doctors. Thus, to monitor all patients, including "severe" should nurses and employees belonging to the category of junior staff.

Paul Eileen is in charge of the analytical research, his team includes college teachers, students, practicing doctors and analysts from many UK medical institutions.

Statistics, published by scientists in the well-known specialized publication - British Medical Journal, read: 

1. Studied: 
   • 2005-2006 - more than 4,000,000 clinical cases that do not require surgery.
   • 2008-2011. - more than 4 million surgical interventions.
2. The research was conducted in 163 clinics, hospitals and stationary institutions of state type.
3. Stationary mortality: 
   • 2005-2006. - annually about 3500 cases. Of these, 2,150 facts are confirmed by the findings of pathologists who speak of premature death.
   • 2008-2011. - 27500 deaths within a month after surgery, more than 4.5% of the total number is accounted for the weekend. 
4. Lethality during planned surgical interventions increases by 44% if the operation is carried out on Friday or on weekends (comparison with Monday).
5. Mortality after urgent operations, conducted on Friday or on the days of the weekend, is 82% higher than after surgical interventions on Monday.

Scientists have studied diseases requiring surgical intervention for the last three years. Statistical information clearly demonstrates the shocking difference in the number of deaths compared to 2005 and the study of mortality from common diseases. The material for the study during 2008-2011. There are five types of the most serious and difficult operations: 

• Coronary bypass.
• Surgical resection of the esophagus.
• Aneurysm of the abdominal aorta.
• Removal of the segment of the rectum.
• Removal of a part and the entire lung.

Analysts provided impressive statistics: 

• 3, 5% (the highest percentage of deaths) are operations on the esophagus. On 1000 operations there are 35 deaths on Friday and days off.
• 3, 4% - surgery performed urgently on the aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. There are 34 deaths of postoperative deaths per 1000 operations.
• 2.4% - surgery for the removal of the segment of the rectum.
• 2% of deaths on weekends- operations on the lungs.

In general, the annual unjustified loss of over 3,000 Britons is 5% more than the number of fatalities on the roads and roads as a result of car accidents

Experienced surgeons know that severe, life-threatening complications most often occur in the first two days after surgery (48 hours), it is during this period that the patient needs special control by the operating doctor. It is logical to assume that surgery conducted in a British clinic on Friday can end with the death of a patient who is on weekends under the tutelage of only middle and junior medical personnel.

In addition to the fact that the country urgently needs to review the system of schedules and watches for holidays and weekends, there is another problem - the lack of highly qualified personnel. British researchers were joined by Spanish researchers who drew attention to the depressing dynamics of deaths over the weekend in COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), as well as Canadian doctors who are already preparing a report on the high mortality rate of stroke patients during the weekend.

Summarizing the alarming statistics, Paul Flynn, chairman of the BMA (British Medical Association) special committee, called for more careful examination of the data provided, taking into account all socio-economic factors, and focus on the development of an accessible, professional, high-quality and round-the-clock assistance program.

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