Abstract 486: The Effects of Weekend Admission on the Outcomes and Management of Ruptured Aortic Aneurysms
The Effects of Weekend Admission on the Outcomes and Management of Ruptured Aortic Aneurysms Objective: Ruptured aortic aneurysm is a condition with a high rate of mortality that requires prompt surgical intervention. It has been noted that in some conditions requiting such prompt intervention, in-hospital mortality is increased in patients admitted on the weekends as compared to patients admitted on weekdays. We sought to determine if this was indeed the case for both ruptured thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysm and elucidate the possible reasons. Methods: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), a publicly available database of inpatient care, we analyzed the incidence of mortality among patients admitted on the weekends compared to weekdays for ruptured aortic aneurysm. Ultimately the care of over 7,000 patients was analyzed for the primary endpoints. We adjusted for demographics, comorbid conditions, hospital characteristics, rates of surgical intervention, timing of surgical intervention and use of additional therapeutic measures. Results: Patients admitted on the weekend for both ruptured thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysm had a statistically significant increase in mortality as compared to those admitted on the weekdays (OR 2.55 for Thoracic and 1.32 for Abdominal). By our analysis this is likely due to a delay in surgical care on the weekends. Conclusions: Weekend admission for ruptured aortic aneurysm is associated with an increased mortality when compared to those admitted on the weekend and this is likely due to several factors with the most predominant being a delay in surgical intervention.