According to a latest study, admission to a hospital after myocardial infarction (MI) outside normal working hours is not likely to increase the risk for in-hospital mortality.
Researchers at the University of Leeds analysed the data from the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP), a registry in the United Kingdom, which collates data on admissions for MI across all hospitals in England and Wales, and performed a comparison of the characteristics, treatments, and hospital mortality rates of 615,000 admissions.
The study found no evidence suggesting a link between time of hospitalisation and in-hospital mortality for MI admissions. Evening admissions were more likely to have comorbidities, which can complicate treatments and increase mortality risk. The variation in mortality rates observed around the clock diminished after taking into account the differences in patient characteristics and treatments.
Dr. Jianhua Wu, the lead author, emphasised that MIs were being treated equally well regardless of the time of arrival at the hospital. Dr. Chris Wilkinson, co-author of the study, added: "This excellent care is made possible by 24 hour a day provision of guideline-indicated treatment for heart attack patients across the United Kingdom, and we now need to ensure other common medical emergencies are equally well treated."
