Hospital Stays More Deadly Over Weekends Than Weekdays for Older Patients with Head Trauma

A review by Johns Hopkins University of more than 38,000 patient records has found that older adults who sustain substantial head trauma over a weekend are significantly more likely to die from their injuries than those who are hurt in a similar way and hospitalized Monday through Friday — even if their injuries are less severe and they have fewer other illnesses than their weekday counterparts.

The so-called “weekend effect” on patient outcomes has been well-documented in cases of heart attack, stroke and aneurism treatment, the researchers say, and these new findings affirm the problem in head trauma care, as well. For more information, click here to read the full release.