Impact of day of admission on patients admitted with complete heart block: Analyzing the weekend effect
Nahush Roop Bansal1, Abdulmajeed Alharbi2, Shahnaz Rehman3
1Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, OH, USA.
Insights
Weekend admissions for complete heart block (CHB) are linked to longer hospital stays and higher charges. While mortality is similar, weekend CHB patients experience more cardiac arrests and cardiogenic shock, with delayed pacemaker implantation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Complete heart block (CHB) is a critical cardiac condition requiring prompt treatment.
- Admission timing, specifically weekday versus weekend, may impact patient outcomes in emergencies like CHB.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between weekday and weekend hospital admissions and outcomes for patients diagnosed with complete heart block.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective cohort study utilized the National Inpatient Sample database.
- Adult patients admitted with complete heart block were analyzed, comparing outcomes between weekend and weekday admissions.
Main Results:
- Weekend admissions (21.37%) showed similar mortality but longer hospital stays and increased charges compared to weekday admissions.
- Patients admitted on weekends had higher rates of cardiac arrest and cardiogenic shock.
- Permanent pacemaker implantation rates were similar, but the delay to implantation was longer for weekend admissions.
Conclusions:
- Significant differences exist in outcomes for complete heart block patients admitted on weekends versus weekdays.
- Hospital and administrative strategies are necessary to mitigate disparities in care and outcomes associated with weekend admissions for CHB.
Background:
Complete heart block (CHB) is a conduction disorder that can be fatal if not treated promptly. Admission on a week or weekend day may influence the outcomes of cardiac emergencies, such as CHB.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of weekday vs. weekend admissions in terms of CHB outcomes.
Methods:
A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the National Inpatient Sample database to study the outcomes of adult patients admitted with complete heart block. Outcomes were compared between the patients admitted on weekends (midnight Friday to midnight Sunday) and weekdays.
Results:
Thirty-four thousand three hundred ninety-five patients were included, of which 7350 (21.37 %) were admitted on weekends. Mean age for included patients was 75.69 years, with 43.23 % females. Compared to those admitted on weekdays, participants admitted on weekends had similar mortality (aOR 0.73; 95 % CI 0.46-1.16), longer length of stay (mean increase 0.74 days; P < 0.01) and higher hospital charges (mean increase $10,540.82; P < 0.01). Weekend admissions were associated with higher rates of cardiac arrest (adjusted OR 1.40; 95 % CI 1.07-1.84; P = 0.02) and higher rates of cardiogenic shock (adjusted OR 1.40; 95 % CI 1.07-1.83; P = 0.01) and similar rates of permanent pacemaker implantation (adjusted OR 0.88; 95 % CI 0.77-1.01; P = 0.06), but had longer delay to permanent pacemaker (mean increase 0.46 days; P < 0.01).
Conclusion:
Hospital and administrative-level strategies are needed to address the differences between the weekend and weekday CHB admissions.
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