CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND IN HOSPITAL OUTCOME OF ACUTE HEART FAILURE PATIENTS ADMITTED AT MEDICAL WARD, AT SAINT PAUL’S HOSPITAL MILLENNIUM MEDICAL COLLEGE, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

Abstract Background :Heart failure, a debilitating condition, is increasingly prevalent in developing countries. However, information on how it manifests and responds to treatment in these settings is often scarce. This study addresses this gap by examining the clinical features and in-hospital outcomes of patients admitted with acute heart failure to the internal medicine department of St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods :This study retrospectively reviewed medical records of 332 patients admitted with acute heart failure at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, over a two-year period (September 2010 - September 2015). Data was collected using a standardized form and analyzed using statistical software (SPSS Version 26). Results :Out of the 332 patients, the median age of patients with acute heart failure was 55 years(IQR=38-67) and the median hospital was 12 days (IQR=6-20). The leading precipitating factor and underlying disease at the time of admission were pneumonia (39.2) and ischemic heart disease (23.4), respectively. The in- hospital mortality was found to be 13.8%. IHD (adjusted odd ratio ( AOR) = 9.96 , P = 0.05) , diabetes mellitus (AOR) = 0.78, P = 0.04), shock ( AOR) = 32.5 , P =0.01) and anemia (AOR) = 4.76, P =0.05 ) were predictors of in – hospital mortality. The findings on plural effusion on CXR predicted the prolonged length of stay (B=0.283,P<0.001) and in- hospital respiratory failure was associated with shorter length of stay ( B=-0.151 ,P= 0.005) Conclusion : This study in Ethiopia revealed a concerningly high in-hospital mortality rate of 13.8% among patients admitted with acute heart failure (AHF). Notably, the presence of IHD, diabetes mellitus (DM), anemia, and shock during hospitalization emerged as significant predictors of poor outcomes.