[Mortality and length of hospital stay in elderly with systolic heart failure at Alborz Hospital in Karaj [2003-2008]]

ABSTRACT

Heart failure is a common, disabling, deadly, and highly threatening disease. Despite advances in the treatment of heart failure over the past decade, the prognosis remains poor. The aim of this study was to determine the mortality frequency and length of hospital stay in elderly with systolic heart failure at Alborz Hospital in Karaj during 2009. This was a cross sectional study in which a total of 154 heart failure patients aged >/= 65 years and low ejection fraction [EF][laboratory, and echocardiography data were collected from medical records. Data were analyzed by independent group t-test, chi square test, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Hospital mortality was 7.1% and the mean length of hospitalization 11.59 +/- 10.94 days in elderly with systolic heart failure. Statistically, there was a significant difference in mean serum creatinine levels and blood urea nitrogen between the living and dead groups with heart failure [P<0.001]. The use of ACE inhibitors [P=0.039] and angiotensin II receptor blocker [P=0.038] was found to be significantly associated with mortality. Also, the length of hospital stay showed significant association with presence of COPD [P=0.035], asthma [P<0.001], and administration of digoxin [P=0.028], nitrate [P=0.015], and warfarin [P<0.001]. Significant positive correlation was found between the length of hospital stay and both serum creatinine levels [P=0.002] and blood urea nitrogen [P=0.041]. Renal dysfunction and several comorbidities and drugs could increase mortality and length of hospital stay in elderly with systolic heart failure