Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access

Abstract

Three Months Morbidity and Mortality of Newly Diagnosed Systolic Heart Failure Patients after their First Admission

Ahmed Ibrahim Nassar, Adel Gamal Hasaneen, Mostafa Ahmed Alshikha and Basem Elsaid Enany

Introduction: The prognosis following a new diagnosis of heart failure in the general population is poor. The risk of mortality is particularly high in the early period after diagnosis with approximately 25-30% not surviving six months. We aimed to follow up the clinical course of systolic heart failure patients for three months after their first admission because of heart failure, including morbidity and mortality.

Patients and methods: 49 patients was admitted to our police hospital with verified heart failure depending on Framingham criteria and whose left ventricular ejection fraction% < 45% evaluated echocardiographically within 24 hours of admission. They were prospectively followed up for 3 months.

Results: Coronary artery disease was the main cause of heart failure (75.6%). Hypertension was present in (67.3%). Mean length of stay during the first admission was 11.8 ± 5.5 days. Mitral regurge was highly prevalent and frequent premature ventricular contactions were the most common complication occurred. Atrial fibrillation was present in 24.5% of patients. The 1 and 3 months mortality rates were 4.1 and 6.1%, respectively. Mortality rate was higher in elderly patients > 70 years, low systolic blood pressure, low diastolic blood pressure, and high blood urea patients. 30.4% of the 46 survivors experienced at least one hospital readmission during follow-up. Readmission was associated more with the following variables; low left ventricular ejection fraction%, poor compliance with diet and medication, and high RBS.

Conclusion: Despite the advances in treatment and diagnostic procedures, newly diagnosed heart failure still carries a grave prognosis. Morbidity and mortality rates are still high.