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Abstract
Introduction Associated with high morbidity and mortality, congestive heart failure (CHF) is a common consequence of numerous cardiac diseases.Close monitoring of fluid balance and daily weights in patients admitted with acute heart failure (AHF) plays a crucial role in its management and allows the therapeutic efficacy of diuretic therapy to be maximized. It’s recommended by ESC guidelines that patients hospitalized due to acute heart failure should be weighed daily and have an accurate fluid balance chart completed.
Purpose To collect information on the demographic of the patients admitted, type of heart failure and underlying cause.To measure the compliance for daily weight and fluid balance assessment in patients admitted with AHF and receiving IV diuretic therapy.
Method Retrospective analysis of data on 94 patients who were admitted over 6 months period to the cardiology ward of a district general hospital with AHF and requiring intravenous diuretic therapy.
Results Average age for admissions was 76.5 year old (54% male, 46% female), and average length of admission was 4.9 days. Table 1 shows the number of patients of Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or Heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) Vs. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and the underlying cause of heart failure. 42% of patients had a daily weight charts, and weight was recorded for 67% of the cumulative days in hospital. 52% of patients had fluid balance charts, and were totaled on 29% of admission days (figure 1).
There were symptoms and signs of pulmonary oedema in 28% of patients, while 5% of patients had only signs of peripheral oedema, and 67% had symptoms and signs of both pulmonary and peripheral oedema (figure 2).
Completion of fluid balance charts (N = 69)
Conclusions Two thirds of patients admitted with AHF and requiring IV diuretics have reduced LV ejection fraction, ischemic heart disease is the most common underlying cause of heart failure among this population. Despite guidelines recommendations, close monitoring of weight and fluid balance in patients hospitalized due to acute heart failure, is not being documented as much as desired.
Conflict of Interest None