title: Anaemia among patients with congestive cardiac failure in Uganda - its impact on treatment outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anaemia increases morbidity and mortality in patients with congestive cardiac failure (CCF). Few studies have examined the prevalence of anaemia and its impact among patients with CCF in sub-Saharan Africa. We assessed the prevalence of anaemia and its influence on treatment outcome in patients with CCF attending a large referral hospital in Kampala, Uganda.
  
  
  METHODS
  Echocardiography was done and haemoglobin levels were determined in 157 patients with CCF admitted to Mulago Hospital. The patients were followed up for 2 weeks and their treatment outcome was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 157 patients, 101 (64.3%) had anaemia (mean haemoglobin concentration </=11.9 g/dl for women and </=12.9 g/dl for men) at admission. Increasing age and hypertensive heart disease were significantly associated with anaemia (odds ratio (OR) 2.92, confidence interval (CI) 1.41 - 6.05, p<0.01 and OR 0.31, CI 0.13 - 0.74, p<0.01, respectively). In-hospital mortality at the end of the 2 weeks of treatment was 10.2% and was significantly higher among the anaemic patients than their non-anaemic counterparts (OR 4.9, CI 1.07 - 22.35, p<0.03). The mean duration of in-hospital stay was 7.5 (significant deviation 3.4) days. This did not differ significantly between anaemic and non-anaemic patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of anaemia among patients with CCF attending Mulago Hospital was high. Anaemia in these patients was significantly associated with mortality by the end of 2 weeks of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, Uganda. jkkuule2000@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Julius Kabbali
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kuule
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seremba
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Freers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins