[Baseline characteristics and determinants of outcome in a patient population admitted for heart failure to a general hospital].
OBJECTIVE
To assess baseline characteristics, management patterns, and clinical outcomes after 18 months in patients diagnosed as heart failure in a tertiary hospital in Catalonia, Spain.


METHODS
The records of all 265 patients admitted to the Hospital General Vall d'Hebron from July through December 1998 with a diagnosis of heart failure who met study criteria were identified and analyzed. Patients were interviewed by telephone 18 months later.


RESULTS
The mean age of the study population was 75 12 years, 42% were male, 19% were admitted for causes other than heart failure, and 62% had significant comorbidity. Ventricular function was assessed in 68% (preferentially patients with a better prognosis), and was considered normal in 41%. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II antagonists were used in 54%, and beta-blockers in 4%. The 18-month mortality was 46% (77% cardiac mortality). Multivariate predictors of death were older age, severe or previous heart failure, and serious comorbidity. At 18 months, 69% of survivors were in functional classes I or II.


CONCLUSIONS
1) As in other geographic areas, patients in this study were an older population with poor survival; 2) local patterns of care definitely need improvement; 3) comorbidity is important for prognosis, and 4) a significant proportion of survivors enjoy an acceptable quality of life long after discharge.
Unidad de Epidemiología, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital General Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. gperm@hg.vhebron.es
Gaietà
G
Permanyer Miralda
Nuria
N
Soriano
Carlos
C
Brotons
Irene
I
Moral
Josep
J
Pinar
Purificació
P
Cascant
Aida
A
Ribera
Marius
M
Morlans
Jordi
J
Soler-Soler
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome