title: [Multiple organ damage in patients dying from acute decompensated heart failure].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the occurring and developing patterns of multiple organ damage in patients dying from acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data of 30 hospitalized patients of ADHF were analyzed. The dying causes included renal, hepatic, respiratory dysfunctions, infection and anemia. All patients received continuous cardiac rhythm monitoring. Their renal, hepatic and respiratory function, infection and anemia were evaluated at admission and during the last 24 hours pre-death respectively. And the results were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 19 males and 11 females. The average age was (55±22) years old. Among them, 7 cases were of NYHA class III and 23 cases NYHA class IV at admission. The causes of heart failure included valvular heart disease (n=17), dilated cardiomyopathy (n=6), ischemic cardiomyopathy (n=4), valvular heart disease and previous cardiac infarction (n=2) and restrictive cardiomyopathy (n=1). From admission to death, the average hospitalization duration was (8.8±7.4) days. Eleven cases suffered from sudden cardiac death due to lethal arrhythmias including ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation and sinus arrest. Another 19 cases had no lethal arrhythmias, but they suffered cardiac shock eventually. Among all 30 cases, there were 15 cases with pulmonary infection, 13 cases with hepatic dysfunction, 6 cases with renal dysfunction, 7 cases with respiratory failure, 7 cases with anemia and 15 cases with multiple organ damage at admission. However, the pre-death values increased to 26 (87%, P<0.01), 19 (63%, P<0.05), 24 (80%, P<0.01), 20 (67%, P<0.01), 9 (30%, P>0.05) and 29 (97%, P<0.01) respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiple organ damage evolves and worsens to result in death in ADHF patients.
authors.affiliation: Heart Failure Care Unit, Cardiovascular Institute & Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China. zhangjian62@medmail.com.cn
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bing-qi
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Hui-cong
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Chu-lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yu-hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yue-jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Run-lin
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult