title: Short-term prognostic factors in elderly patients seen in emergency departments for acute heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate factors associated with short-term mortality in elderly patients seen in emergency departments for an episode of acute heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, non-interventional, multicenter, cohort study was carried out in patients aged 65 years and older who were treated in the emergency department of one of eight tertiary hospitals in Spain. Twenty-eight independent variables that could influence mortality at 30 days were assessed. They covered epidemiological and clinical factors and daily functioning. Data were obtained by reviewing medical records or by interviewing the patient or a relative. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 623 patients, 42 of whom (6.7%) died within 30 days of visiting the emergency department. Four variables were significantly associated with higher mortality: functional dependence at baseline (i.e., Barthel index=60; odds ratio [OR]=2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-6.5), New York Heart Association class III-IV (OR=3; 95% CI, 1.3-7), systolic blood pressure <100 mmHg (OR=4.8; 95% CI, 1.6-14.5) and blood sodium <135 mEq/l (OR=4.2; 95% CI, 1.8-9.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several factors evaluated on initial assessment in the emergency department, including the level of functional dependence, were found to determine a poor short-term prognosis in elderly patients who present with an episode of acute heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Area de Urgencias, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Miró
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Llorens
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Martín-Sánchez
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herrero
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavón
authors.forename: M José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pérez-Durá
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bella Alvarez
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Juan Jorge
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: González-Armengol
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors