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Hospitalization for congestive heart failure: is it still a cardiology business?
Author(s) -
Grigioni Francesco,
Carinci Valeria,
Favero Luca,
Reggiani Letizia Bacchi,
Magnani Gaia,
Potena Luciano,
Barbieri Alessandra,
Magelli Carlo,
Branzi Angelo,
Magnani Bruno
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
european journal of heart failure
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.149
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1879-0844
pISSN - 1388-9842
DOI - 10.1016/s1388-9842(01)00204-5
Subject(s) - medicine , heart failure , comorbidity , multivariate analysis , cardiology , hospital readmission , emergency medicine , mortality rate , charlson comorbidity index
Background: Hospital management of CHF and predictors of hospital mortality remain unclear. Methods: To address these issues, we analyzed the hospital admissions for CHF during 1996 in a large university hospital. Patients discharged with the principal diagnosis of CHF were considered eligible for the study. Results: Among the 1511 patients (3% of all discharges) who satisfied the inclusion criteria, 75% were treated in general medicine departments (GMD) and 22% in cardiology units (CU). Patients admitted to GMD were older than those treated in CU (79±10 vs. 68±15 years, P <0.001), included a higher proportion of females (56% vs. 37%, P <0.001), and presented a higher rate of hospital mortality (13% vs. 4%, P <0.001). The overall mean length of stay was 11±9 days. At multivariate analysis, length of stay was not associated with the department (i.e. GMD/CU) ( P ‐0.273). Conclusions: CHF is a common lethal condition often requiring treatment in GMD. Length of stay appears to depend more on patients' characteristics than on differences in practice between GMD and CU. Patients admitted to GMD present higher rates of comorbidity and hospital mortality. Strategies are urgently needed to improve hospital management of CHF.