Hospitalization for congestive heart failure: is it still a cardiology business?
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.
Grigioni
Francesco
F
Cardiology Institute of the University Hospital S. Orsola-Malpighi, Via Massarenti n. 9, 40100, Bologna, Italy.
Carinci
Valeria
V
Favero
Luca
L
Bacchi Reggiani
Letizia
L
Magnani
Gaia
G
Potena
Luciano
L
Barbieri
Alessandra
A
Magelli
Carlo
C
Branzi
Angelo
A
Magnani
Bruno
B
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002309:Cardiology / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis