Current presentation and management of heart failure in cardiology and internal medicine hospital units: a tale of two worlds--the TEMISTOCLE study.
BACKGROUND
The purpose pf the current article is to describe the clinical profile, use of resources, management and outcome in a population of real-world inpatients with heart failure.


RESULTS
With a prospective, cross-sectional survey on acute hospital admissions, we evaluated the overall and provider-related differences in patient characteristics, diagnostic work-up, treatment and inhospital outcome of 2127 patients with heart failure admitted to 167 cardiology departments and 250 internal medicine departments between February 14 and 25, 2000. Patients admitted to cardiology units were younger (56.3% >70 years vs 76.2%, P <.0001), had more severe symptoms (NYHA IV 35% vs 29%, P =.00014), and more often underwent evaluation of ventricular function (89.3% vs 54.8%, P <.0001) and coronary angiography (7.5% vs 0.9%, P <.0001) than those admitted to medical units. Moreover, they were more often prescribed beta-blockers (17.8% vs 8.7%, P <.0001). However, prescription of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers (78.7% vs 81.5%, P = not significant [NS]) and inhospital mortality (5.2% vs 5.9%, P = NS) were similar. A 6-month follow-up visit was performed in 56.4% of cases (68.2% of cardiology vs 49.4% of medicine patients, P <.0001); 6-month readmission (43.7% vs 45.4%, P = NS) and mortality (13.9% vs 16.7%, P = NS) rates were similar.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with heart failure admitted to cardiology and internal medicine units represent 2 clearly different populations. In both groups, diagnostic procedures and evidence-based treatments, such as beta-blockers, appeared to be underused, and there was a lack of structured follow-up, as well as a poor 6-month prognosis.
Di Lenarda
Andrea
A
Maggiore Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Trieste, Italy.
Scherillo
Marino
M
Maggioni
Aldo Pietro
AP
Acquarone
Nicola
N
Ambrosio
Giovanni Battista
GB
Annicchiarico
Massimo
M
Bellis
Paolo
P
Bellotti
Paolo
P
De Maria
Renata
R
Lavecchia
Rinaldo
R
Lucci
Donata
D
Mathieu
Giovanni
G
Opasich
Cristina
C
Porcu
Maurizio
M
Tavazzi
Luigi
L
Cafiero
Massimo
M
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003325:Coronary Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors