Hospitalization due to acute heart failure. Role of the precipitating factors.
OBJECTIVE
Many precipitating factors for decompensation of a chronic, stable heart failure (HF) have been described.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the precipitating factors associated with HF decompensation among 293 patients admitted to a teaching hospital because of acute HF.


RESULTS
173 women and 120 men were included, and mean age was 76.7 years. In 221 patients (75%) there was some evidence of a factor that was potentially accountable for the decompensation of HF; a combination of two or more factors could be elicited in 100 patients. Except for a worse prior functional status, no differences were found between patients with and without identified precipitating factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Precipitating factors may be identified in most patients suffering an acute episode of decompensation of HF. The majority of these factors appear to be preventable, and should thus be avoidable with a better, more comprehensive control of the HF patient.
Formiga
Francesc
F
Internal Medicine Service-Geriatric Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, 08907-L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. fformiga@csub.scs.es
Chivite
David
D
Manito
Nicolas
N
Casas
Susana
S
Llopis
Ferran
F
Pujol
Ramon
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015985:Precipitating Factors; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology