Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics, Presentation Details, and Clinical Outcomes
| Overall (N = 249) | COVID-19 Era (n = 32) | Non-COVID-19 Era (n = 217) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs | 79.9 ± 11 | 80.2 ± 14 | 79.8 ± 11 | 0.85 |
| Males | 217 (50) | 14 (44) | 113 (52) | 0.18 |
| Charlson comorbidity index | 7.5 ± 2.2 | 7.7 ± 1.7 | 7.5 ± 2.0 | 0.52 |
| Diabetes | 115 (46) | 18 (56) | 97 (45) | 0.70 |
| Hypertension | 197 (79) | 23 (72) | 174 (80) | 0.28 |
| Stroke | 55 (22) | 5 (16) | 50 (23) | 0.39 |
| CIED | 50 (20) | 8 (25) | 42 (19) | 0.45 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 172 (69) | 18 (56) | 154 (71) | 0.09 |
| Dementia | 26 (10) | 2 (6.3) | 24 (11) | 0.35 |
| Active malignancy | 23 (9.2) | 4 (13) | 19 (9.0) | 0.18 |
| COPD | 76 (31) | 5 (16) | 71 (33) | 0.05 |
| Cause of heart failure | ||||
| Ischemia | 68 (27) | 9 (28) | 59 (27) | 0.88 |
| Hypertension | 24 (9.5) | 4 (13.0) | 19 (8.8) | 0.37 |
| Valvular heart disease | 16 (6.5) | 2 (6.5) | 11 (5.1) | 0.69 |
| Ejection fraction, % | 0.25 | |||
| ≥50 | 113 (45.0) | 16 (51.0) | 96 (44.2) | |
| 45-49 | 28 (11.0) | 2 (6.3) | 28 (12.0) | |
| 35-44 | 52 (21) | 5 (16) | 48 (22) | |
| ≤35 | 56 (23) | 9 (29) | 45 (21) | |
| Presentation characteristics | ||||
| Systolic BP, mm Hg | 137 ± 26 | 144 ± 29 | 136 ± 26 | 0.06 |
| Diastolic BP, mm Hg | 75 ± 15 | 77 ± 12 | 74 ± 16 | 0.26 |
| Admission under cardiology | 80 (32) | 7 (22) | 75 (34) | 0.09 |
| NYHA functional class on admission | 0.009 | |||
| II | 71 (29) | 1 (3) | 70 (32) | |
| III | 120 (48) | 21 (66) | 99 (46) | |
| IV | 58 (23) | 10 (31) | 48 (22) | |
| III/IV | 178 (71) | 31 (97) | 147(68) | 0.01 |
| Precipitant for decompensation | ||||
| Ischemia | 26 (10.0) | 2 (6.5) | 24 (11.0) | 0.36 |
| Medication nonadherence | 20 (8.0) | 6 (18.0) | 14 (6.4) | 0.04 |
| Infection | 84 (34) | 8 (25) | 78 (36) | 0.22 |
| Arrhythmia | 54 (22) | 5 (15) | 50 (23) | 0.24 |
| Unknown/other | 65 (26) | 11 (34) | 51 (24) | 0.35 |
| Admissions | 0.01∗ | |||
| 2014 | 45 | - | - | |
| 2015 | 44 | - | - | |
| 2016 | 74 | - | - | |
| 2017 | 54 | - | - | |
| 2020 (COVID-19) | 32 | - | - | |
| Quality metrics | ||||
| Length of stay | 5.5 (3–9) | 4.0 (3–8) | 6.0 (3–10) | 0.16 |
| % of inpatient weight loss | 3.3 ± 5.2 | 2.9 ± 5.5 | 3.4 ± 5.1 | 0.66 |
| In-hospital mortality | 16 (6.4) | 3 (9.4) | 13 (5.9) | 0.47 |
| ICU admission | 16 (6.4) | 3 (9.0) | 13 (6.0) | 0.47 |
| ICU length of stay, days | 3.9 ± 2 | 5.3 ± 4 | 3.6 ± 2 | 0.32 |
| Non-invasive ventilation | 46 (18.0) | 1 (3.1) | 45 (21.0) | 0.02 |
| Discharge to Home | 202 (81) | 25 (78) | 178 (82) | 0.86 |
| Discharge medications | ||||
| ACE inhibitor/ARB | 136 (55) | 10 (35) | 124 (57) | 0.033 |
| Beta-blockers | 170 (68) | 25 (79) | 145 (67) | 0.20 |
| MRA | 86 (35) | 11 (36) | 74 (34) | 0.88 |
Values are mean ± SD, n (%), or mean (interquartile range). Ejection fraction was measured using the Simpson biplane method. Chronic kidney disease was defined as baseline eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2.
ACEI = angiotensin-converting enzyme; ARB = angiotensin receptor blocker; CIED = cardiac implantable-electronic device; COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; COVID = corona virus; eGFR = estimated glomerular filtration rate; ICU = intensive care unit; MRA = mineralocorticoid agonist; NYHA = New York Heart Association.
∗
The p value for the average number of admissions in the non-COVID-19 era were compared to those in the COVID-19 era.