Table 1.
Patient characteristics included in the present study
| Total N = 1800 n (%) |
Missing values n (%) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Baseline patient characteristics | ||
| Demographic data | ||
| Age (years) [median (IQR)] | 84 (77–89) | 1 (0.1) |
| Female | 1004 (55.8) | 1 (0.1) |
| Comorbidities | ||
| Hypertension | 1455 (81.5) | 14 (0.8) |
| Dyslipidemia | 786 (44.0) | 14 (0.8) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 662 (37.1) | 14 (0.8) |
| Chronic kidney disease (creatinine > 2 mg/mL) | 533 (29.8) | 14 (0.8) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 436 (24.4) | 14 (0.8) |
| Coronary artery disease | 422 (23.6) | 14 (0.8) |
| Heart valve disease | 406 (22.7) | 14 (0.8) |
| Active neoplasia | 278 (15.6) | 14 (0.8) |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 231 (12.9) | 14 (0.8) |
| Dementia | 206 (11.4) | 14 (0.8) |
| Peripheral artery disease | 166 (9.3) | 14 (0.8) |
| Liver cirrhosis | 25 (1.4) | 14 (0.8) |
| Baseline status | ||
| Barthel Index (points) [median (IQR)] | 90 (70–100) | 47 (2.6) |
| NYHA class | 48 (2.7) | |
| I | 413 (23.6) | |
| II | 891 (50.9) | |
| III | 427 (24.4) | |
| IV | 21 (1.2) | |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) [median (IQR)] | 57 (50–65) | 596 (33.1) |
| Chronic treatments | ||
| Diuretics | 1291 (72.7) | 25 (1.4) |
| Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors | 913 (51.5) | 28 (1.6) |
| Betablockers | 841 (47.6) | 32 (1.8) |
| Digoxin | 192 (10.6) | 32 (1.8) |
| Mineralocorticosteroid receptor antagonists | 185 (10.3) | 28 (1.6) |
| Characteristics of decompensation | ||
| Triggers of decompensation | ||
| Infection | 766 (43.2) | 28 (1.6) |
| Rapid atrial fibrillation | 248 (14.0) | 28 (1.6) |
| Anemia | 117 (6.6) | 28 (1.6) |
| Dietetic-therapeutic transgression | 90 (5.1) | 28 (1.6) |
| Acute coronary syndrome | 77 (4.3) | 28 (1.6) |
| Hypertensive crisis | 62 (3.5) | 28 (1.6) |
| Vitals at ED arrival [median (IQR)] | ||
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 140 (122–155) | 15 (0.8) |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 87 (73–102) | 59 (3.3) |
| Pulse oximetry (%) | 94 (90–97) | 26 (1.4) |
| Analytical findings | ||
| Hemoglobin (g/L) [median (IQR)] | 122 (108–135) | 12 (0.7) |
| Creatinine (mg/mL) [median (IQR)] | 1.1 (0.9–1.5) | 18 (1.0) |
| Sodium (mmol/L) [median (IQR)] | 140 (137–142) | 71 (3.9) |
| Potassium (mmol/L) [median (IQR)] | 4.4 (4.0–4.8) | 148 (8.2) |
| NT-proBNP (pg/mL) [median (IQR)] | 3444 (1659–7433) | 433 (24.1) |
| Raised troponin | 724 (70.2) | 768 (42.7) |
| ECG findings | ||
| Atrial fibrillation | 903 (50.2) | 0 |
| Left-bundle branch block | 192 (10.7) | 0 |
| Left ventricular hypertrophy | 75 (4.2) | 0 |