title: Trends in hospitalization for congestive heart failure, 1996-2009.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although heart failure (HF) is a common cause of hospital admissions, few data describe temporal trends in HF hospitalization. We present data on number of HF admissions, length of stay (LOS), and inpatient mortality in the United States, 1996-2009.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess HF hospitalizations in a national sample of United States population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS), a national probability sample survey of discharges conducted annually by the National Center for Health Statistics. Sampling weights are applied to raw NHDS data to produce national estimates. Hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of HF were identified using ICD-9-CM codes. We excluded hospitalizations where HF was a secondary diagnosis. Weighted least squares regression was used to test for linear trends in HF hospitalizations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 15.5 million weighted primary HF hospitalizations were included. The number of total primary HF hospitalizations increased from 1 000 766 in 1996 to about 1 173 832 in 2009 (β = 7371 hospitalizations per year; 95% confidence interval (CI): 552 to 14 190, P = 0.036). Mean LOS per hospitalization decreased from 6.07 days in 1996 to about 5.26 days in 2009 (β = -0.059 days per year; 95% CI: -0.079 to -0.039, P < 0.001). Inpatient mortality rates declined from 4.92% in 1996 to 3.41% in 2009 (β = -0.17% per year; 95% CI: -0.23 to -0.10, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a nationally representative sample of HF hospitalizations, mean LOS and inpatient mortality rates declined over the past 2 decades. HF management cost is most likely to be reduced by decreasing the number of HF admissions.
authors.affiliation: Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Muhammad Bilal
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Munir
authors.affiliation: Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sharbaugh
authors.affiliation: Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Floyd W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Thoma
authors.affiliation: Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Muhammad Umer
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Nisar
authors.affiliation: Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Amir S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kamran
authors.affiliation: Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Althouse
authors.affiliation: Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saba
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Admissions; Heart failure/cardiac transplantation/cardiomyopathy/myocarditis; Mortality