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. 2023 Jul 26;10(8):315.
doi: 10.3390/jcdd10080315.

Differences in Demographics, in-Hospital Management and Short-Term Prognosis in Admissions for Acutely Decompensated Heart Failure to Cardiology vs. Internal Medicine Departments: A Prospective Study

Maria-Anna Bazmpani  1 , Christos A Papanastasiou  1 , Vasilios Giampatzis  2 , Vasileios Kamperidis  1 , Thomas Zegkos  1 , Pantelis Zebekakis  3 , Christos Savopoulos  4 , Haralambos Karvounis  1 , Georgios K Efthimiadis  1 , Antonios Ziakas  1 , Theodoros D Karamitsos  1
Affiliations

Differences in Demographics, in-Hospital Management and Short-Term Prognosis in Admissions for Acutely Decompensated Heart Failure to Cardiology vs. Internal Medicine Departments: A Prospective Study

Maria-Anna Bazmpani et al. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. .

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is among the leading causes of unplanned hospital admissions worldwide. Patients with HF carry a high burden of comorbidities; hence, they are frequently admitted for non-cardiac conditions and managed in Internal Medicine Departments (IMD). The aim of our study was to investigate differences in demographics, in-hospital management, and short-term outcomes of HF patients admitted to IMD vs. cardiology departments (CD). A prospective cohort study enrolling consecutive patients with acutely decompensated HF either as primary or as secondary diagnosis during the index hospitalization was conducted. Our primary endpoint was a combined endpoint of in-hospital mortality and 30-day rehospitalization for HF. A total of 302 patients participated in the study, with 45% of them admitted to IMD. Patients managed by internists were older with less pronounced HF symptoms on admission. In-hospital mortality was higher for patients admitted to IMD vs. CD (21% vs. 6%, p < 0.001). The composite endpoint of in-hospital death and heart failure hospitalizations at 30 days post-discharge was higher for patients admitted to IMD both in univariate [OR: 3.2, 95% CI (1.8-5.7); p < 0.001] and in multivariate analysis [OR 3.74, 95% CI (1.72-8.12); p = 0.001]. In addition, the HF rehospitalization rate at 6 months after discharge was higher in IMD patients [HR 1.65, 95% CI (1.1, 2.4), p = 0.01]. Overall, HF patients admitted to IMD have worse short-term outcomes compared to patients admitted to CD.

Keywords: acute heart failure; heart failure hospitalizations; internal medicine department; prognosis; short-term outcome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study population flowchart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Survival curves for 6-month follow-up for heart failure hospitalizations (6-month readmission rate for HF was significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.01).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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