The Worst Times to be in a Hospital

It is recommended that the best time to have cardiac arrest is during normal workday hours because you will have a better chance of surviving. In every part of a hospital, excluding the emergency room, hospital staff working the night shift are more tired, less experienced, and fewer in number. These things cause a slower response time when a person needs urgent assistance.

If urgent care is needed for a cardiac arrest patient before 11 p.m., the patient has a 20 percent chance of surviving and being discharged from the hospital. If care is needed after 11 p.m., the patient has less than a 15 percent chance of surviving and being discharged. A similar effect is also seen on weekends.