[Cases of heart failure requiring hospitalization].
OBJECTIVE
To find the characteristics of patients with heart failure requiring admittance to the referral hospital for the A Coruña Health Area.


METHODS
Descriptive, crossover and retrospective study.


METHODS
Health area of 500,000 inhabitants.


METHODS
Patients admitted with diagnosis of heart failure (1995; n = 636). A simple randomised sampling was undertaken, stratified by sex (n = 225; alpha = 0.05; accuracy = 6%). Sample size was increased by 25% due to possible losses of information.


RESULTS
The most common underlying causes were: ischaemic cardiopathy 36.4%, dilated myocardiopathy 23.6% and hypertension 16.5%. The most common catalysing factors were: infection 32.6% and tachycardia 24.6%. The commonest symptoms were dyspnoea 90.6% and orthopnoea 63.9%. The most frequent sign was crepitus 79.8%, followed by oedemas 58.3%. An echocardiogram was performed on 42.6% and 22% had digoxinaemia. Most common linked pathology was: hypertension 33.5% and COPD 25.0%. After admission the use of diuretics (30%), digoxin (9%) and ACE inhibitors (27%) was increased. 7.7% of patients died. Variables most commonly linked to death were myocardial infarction (OR = 21.8), hyponatraemia (OR = 12.2) and kidney failure (OR = 7.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Given the underlying causes and catalysing factors seen in the results of this study, family doctors play a decisive role in prevention and control of heart failure.
Vila Alonso
M T
MT
Unidad de Epidemiología Clínica y Bioestadística, Hospital Juan Canalejo, A Coruña.
Doce García
M J
MJ
Pita Fernández
S
S
Viana Zulaica
C
C
D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies