title: Readmission rates among cardiology inpatients with echocardiography abnormalities associated with heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart failure is a condition associated with significant morbidity. It is caused by structural or functional abnormalities of the heart. Many of these abnormalities if detected and managed early would prevent the onset of heart failure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to to determine the usefulness of echocardiography as a means of predicting readmission rates. A secondary aim was to profile patients with echocardiography abnormalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective cohort study that followed patients over 36 months. Data were abstracted from the medical records of 76 cardiology patients in a large urban teaching hospital between 1.6.11 and 31.8.14. The outcome of interest was the number of readmissions occurring up to 48 months after discharge. We also aimed to profile these patients in terms of their co-morbidities and their medication history.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of those patients who had echocardiography (n = 447), 76 were considered to have a cardiac disorder (HHD, VHD, or LVSD) (n = 29). The mean readmission rate for HHD was 0.82, LVSD 0.62, and HHD 0.98. Patients with HHD were associated with a higher readmission rate of 1.8980 and for LVSD-1.24 times more likely. Those with a cardiac disorder were 13 % more likely to have a readmission within the next 36 months than those without a cardiac disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant proportion of patients were found to have a cardiac disorder related to HF. Echocardiographic abnormalities were shown to be an independent risk factor for readmission.
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland. liamoh@gmail.com.|Department of Cardiology, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, Ireland. liamoh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O' Halloran
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland.|Department of Cardiology, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McAdam
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland.|Department of Cardiology, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland.|Department of Cardiology, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland.|Department of Cardiology, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland.|Department of Cardiology, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland.|Department of Cardiology, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland.|Department of Cardiology, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McGee
mesh_terms: D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
keywords: Echocardiography; Heart failure; Readmission; Screening