Factors related to early readmissions after acute heart failure: a nested case-control study

• Published in: BMC cardiovascular disorders Vol. 23; no. 1; p. 17
• Main Authors: Garcia-Gutierrez, Susana, Villanueva, Ane, Lafuente, Iratxe, Rodriguez, Ibon, Lozano-Bahamonde, Ainara, Murga, Nekane, Orus, Josefina, Camacho, Emilia Rosa, Quintana, Jose María, Quiros, Raul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 12-01-2023; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Acute heart failure; Admission and discharge; Case-Control Studies; Dyspnea - diagnosis; Dyspnea - therapy; Frailty - diagnosis; Frailty - epidemiology; Health aspects; Heart failure; Heart Failure - drug therapy; Heart Failure - therapy; Hospitals; Humans; Patient Readmission; Prevention; PROMS; Quality of Life; Readmissions; Risk factors; Transitional period; United States; Transitional period; PROMS; Acute heart failure; Readmissions
• ISSN: 1471-2261; 1471-2261
• DOI: 10.1186/s12872-022-03029-2

To describe the main characteristics of patients who were readmitted to hospital within 1 month after an index episode for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).
This is a nested case-control study in the ReIC cohort, cases being consecutive patients readmitted after hospitalization for an episode of ADHF and matched controls selected from those who were not readmitted. We collected clinical data and also patient-reported outcome measures, including dyspnea, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores, as well as symptoms during a transition period of 1 month after discharge. We created a multivariable conditional logistic regression model. Despite cases consulted more than controls, there were no statistically significant differences in changes in treatment during this first month. Patients with chronic decompensated heart failure were 2.25 [1.25, 4.05] more likely to be readmitted than de novo patients. Previous diagnosis of arrhythmia and time since diagnosis ≥ 3 years, worsening in dyspnea, and changes in MLWHF and TFI scores were significant in the final model.
We present a model with explanatory variables for readmission in the short term for ADHF. Our study shows that in addition to variables classically related to readmission, there are others related to the presence of residual congestion, quality of life and frailty that are determining factors for readmission for heart failure in the first month after discharge.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03300791. First registration: 03/10/2017.