Clinical Cardiology
04/19/2002
By David Loshak
Congestive heart failure patients have a similar clinical presentation whatever their degree of left ventricular systolic function, and appear to have similar lengths of hospital stay and readmission rates, say researchers at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.
They prospectively evaluated 187 patients with congestive heart failure confirmed by pulmonary vascular congestion on chest X-ray and with echocardiographic evidence in the preceding six months of left ventricular systolic function. Patients' history, physical condition, demographics, comorbidities, discharge medications, length of hospital stay and readmission rates over a six-month follow-up were documented.
Of the 187 patients, 130 (69.5 percent) had an ejection fraction below 50 percent, while 57 (30.5 percent) had an ejection fraction of 50 percent or more.
Patients with an ejection fraction below 50 percent had a higher prevalence of previous stroke. They were more likely than those with ejection fractions above 50 percent to be men, African American, to lack medical insurance and to be discharged on digoxin. However, there were no significant differences in symptoms or in physical examination findings.
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