RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Hospital readmission rates among heart failure (HF) patients remain a persistent challenge. While various risk factors have been identified, their impact on individual patients varies, and not all patients with these risk factors will necessarily experience readmission within 90 days. This study aimed to identify and assess the significance of risk factors associated with readmission of HF patients within 90 days. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The sample size comprised 130 patients. Data was collected from hospital records of all HF patients readmitted within 90 days of discharge between 2018 and 2022. RESULTS: The study included 130 patients. The majority (70%) were between 51 and 70 years old. Most patients had a hospital stay ranging from 1 to 10 days (83.1%). Shortness of breath (SOB) was the most common reason for readmission, accounting for 80% of cases. Other reasons included chest pain (CP) (6.2%), orthopnea (13.1%), paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND) (5.4%), lower limb edema (LLE) issues (1.5%), and heart failure (HF) itself (2.3%). Less common reasons included fever (1.5%), pneumonia (1.5%), altered level of consciousness (1.5%), and urinary tract infection (1.5%). CONCLUSION: Readmission rates for HF patients remain high, attributed to factors such as non-adherence to medication and lifestyle changes, comorbidities, inadequate discharge planning, and social determinants of health. Males may be more prone to experiencing SOB and subsequently requiring readmission at a higher rate. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive interventions that address these risk factors to minimize readmission rates and improve patient outcomes.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by an enveloped RNA beta coronavirus, has become a pandemic, with a mortality rate ranging from 0.7% to 10.8%. Although older adults with comorbidity are more likely to suffer severe disease and eventual mortality, diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most frequently reported noncommunicable diseases shown to predict poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients. AIM: To determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of COVID-19 safety measures and factors associated with poor knowledge and practice among type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study included 267 patients with T1DM aged 18-65, admitted to the hospital from January to June 2020. Data were collected via phone interviews during September 2020. The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions for knowledge, five for attitude, and eight concerning practices, and some questions were based on diabetes and COVID-19 specifically. RESULTS: Overall, 64 participants with a median age of 53 years were studied. The median COVID-19 knowledge score showed poor (11.50%), average (43.75%), and good knowledge (6.25%). Most of the participants practiced precautionary measures outside their homes. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, half of the population had poor COVID-19 knowledge, 60.9% of the participants felt anxious, and most of them performed precautionary measures, including wearing a facemask, maintaining a 1-m distance, and washing their hands regularly.
