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OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of day of the week on the odds of being discharged alive from an intensive care unit (ICU). DESIGN: A longitudinal analysis of risk of discharge by day of the week. SETTING AND PATIENTS: 4569 patients admitted to the ICU of St Thomas' Hospital, London, from 2002 to 2006. RESULTS: The odds of being discharged alive were lowest on the weekend and literally climbed during the week. CONCLUSION: Our results show a frightening pattern of discharge from an ICU ward, most likely caused by a complex web of specialist availability and patient demand.

Type

Journal

The Medical journal of Australia

Publication Date

12/2008

Volume

189

Addresses

Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. a.barnett@qut.edu.au

Keywords

Humans, Patient Discharge, Hospital Mortality, Longitudinal Studies, Intensive Care Units, London