Table 3.
Diagnostic characteristics of emergency department patients with acute heart failure syndromes by international region
| Diagnostic Characteristic | USA (%) | Western Europe (%) | Eastern Europe (%) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chest radiograph | n = 119 | n = 66 | n = 147 | |
| Normal | 10 (8.2%) | 3 (3.85%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.002 |
| Cardiomegaly | 18 (14.8%) | 22 (28.2%) | 71 (48.2%) | 0.046 |
| Cephalization | 27 (22.2%) | 1 (18.2%) | 37 (25.2%) | 0.039 |
| Interstitial oedema | 72 (60.5%) | 42 (63.6%) | 103 (70.1%) | <0.001 |
| Pulmonary oedema | 26 (21.8%) | 28 (42.4%) | 29 (19.7%) | <0.001 |
| Pleural effusion | 21 (17.6%) | 22 (33.3%) | 56 (38.1%) | 0.135 |
| Electrocardiogram | n = 119 | n = 77 | n = 294 | |
| Normal | 11 (9.2%) | 16 (20.8%) | 12 (4.1%) | <0.001 |
| Sinus rhythm | 54 (45.4%) | 36 (46.8%) | 182 (61.9%) | 0.001 |
| LBBB | 10 (8.4%) | 15 (19.5%) | 42 (14.3%) | 0.072 |
| RBBB | 8 (6.7%) | 4 (5.2%) | 24 (8.2%) | 0.852 |
| Paced rhythm | 20 (16.8%) | 4 (5.2%) | 12 (4.1%) | <0.001 |
| Atrial fibrillation or flutter | 13 (10.9%) | 20 (26.0%) | 85 (28.9%) | <0.001 |
| Ischaemic changes | 11 (9.2%) | 7 (9.1%) | 87 (29.6%) | <0.001 |
| Laboratory findings | ||||
| BNP done | 117 (95.9%) | 17 (21.8%) | 4 (1.4%) | |
| NT-proBNP done | 0 | 26 (33.3%) | 64 (21.8%) | |
| BNP (pg/mL) | 1258 (1263) | 1126 (1031) | 2850 (1215) | 0.037 |
| NT-proBNP (pg/mL) | 0 (0) | 7832 (7090) | 11,274 (10,192) | 0.120 |
| Sodium (mmol/L) | 138 (3) | 133 (27) | 133 (26) | 0.937 |
| BUN (mg/dL) | 27.9 (20.6) | 40.5 (43.7) | 30.3 (30.6) | <0.001 |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.8 (2.1) | 1.4 (0.8) | 1.5 (1.1) | 0.041 |
Data are presented as medians and ranges or proportions and percentages.
ECG, electrocardiogram; A fib/flutter, atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter; LBBB, left bundle branch block; RBBB, right bundle branch block; BNP, B-type natriuretic peptide; BUN, blood urea nitrogen.