qSOFA Score Is Useful to Assess Disease Severity in Patients With Heart Failure in the Setting of a Heart Failure Unit (HFU)

Abstract

Aims: There is no gold standard to predict outcome in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Several scores for mortality prediction of patients with ADHF have been developed and mostly consist of complex regression models. None of these models has been widely adopted by clinicians. The quick SOFA score (qSOFA) is a simple score including three parameters (systolic blood pressure ≤ 100 mmHg, respiratory rate ≥22 breathes/min, and GCS <15) and is validated for discrimination of mortality risk in septic patients. Here, we adapted qSOFA score to patients admitted to a Heart Failure Unit (HFU) and assessed the prognostic accuracy. Methods and Results: qSOFA, SOFA score, and SIRS criteria were assessed at admission. Clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic parameters were recorded. A follow-up was performed 30 days after discharge. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality or readmission to hospital due do worsening of heart failure symptoms. Of 240 patients (73% male, 16-93 years), 25 patients (10%) had a qSOFA ≥2 points and 126 patients (53%) fulfilled none of qSOFA criteria. Within 30 days, the primary endpoint occurred in 46 patients (19%). Seventeen patients (7%) died and 34 patients (14%) were readmitted to hospital due to worsening heart failure. Patients with qSOFA ≥2 reached this endpoint more frequently (48 vs. 19%, p = 0.002), had more often dyspnea NYHA III-IV (OR 2.4, p = 0.005) and a higher risk for multi organ failure during hospital stay (28 vs. 9%, P = 0.005). Conclusions: qSOFA is useful to identify patients with heart failure at high risk for worse outcome and to operationalize severity of decompensation.

Keywords: SIRS; SOFA; acute heart failure (AHF); heart failiure; heart failure care; intermediate care; qSOFA.

Figure 1

Distribution of SIRS (A), qSOFA (B), and SOFA score (C).

Figure 2

ROC curves and AUC analysis of qSOFA, SIRS, and SOFA for death (A), hospital admission due to worsening of heart failure (B), and a combined endpoint of death and worsening of heart failure symptoms (C).