Readmission after hospitalization for heart failure in elderly patients in Chapidze Emergency Cardiology Center, Georgia

Abstract

Purpose: Heart Failure (HF) is one of the leading mortality causes in elderly people. The goal of our study is the assessment of readmission in elderly patients with HF. Methodology: We explored medical records of elderly patients with HF (75 years and more) at Chapidze Emergency Cardiology Center (Georgia) within 2015-2019 years. We analyzed the structure of the cardiovascular diseases and readmission rates of hospitalized patients with HF (I50, I50.0 I50.1). A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors, associated with readmission for any reason during 6-9 months after the initial hospitalization for HF. Findigs: The major complication of cardiovascular diseases in elderly patients is Heart Failure (68.6%). Hospitalization rates due to the HF in elderly patients were increased during the past years, which is associated with the population aging process. This trend will be most likely continued during the next years. Despite significant improvements in the HF treatment, readmission rates are still high. HF is the most commonly revealed cause of readmission (48% of all readmissions). 6-9 months after the primary hospitalization due to HF, readmission for any reason was 60%. Patients had concomitant diseases including hypertension (43%), myocardial infarction (14%), diabetes (36%), and stroke (8%), affecting the readmission rate. Originality/value: HF remains an important problem in Public Health. During HF associated hospitalization both cardiac and non-cardiac conditions should be addressed, which has the potential for health problems and disease progression. Some readmissions may be prevented by the proper selection of medicines and monitoring.