Table 1.
Baseline clinical characteristics, medical treatments and LUS examination results.
| Variable | Overall Sample (n = 79) | SOC Group (n = 37) | LUS Group (n = 42) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) (mean, SD) | 81.2 (8.9) | 82.8 (6.9) | 79.8 (10.2) | 0.13 |
| Male (n,%) | 36 (45.5) | 17 (45.9) | 19 (45.2) | 0.7 |
| Barthel index (n,%) | 81.8 (20.4) | 82.6 (21.3) | 81.1 (19.9) | 0.7 |
| HF aetiology | ||||
| Ischemic (n,%) | 20 (25.3) | 9 (24.3) | 11 (26.1) | 0.2 |
| Hypertension (n,%) | 38 (52.7) | 18 (48.6) | 20 (47.6) | 0.1 |
| Dilated (n,%) | 4 (5.5) | 1 (2.7) | 3 (7.1) | 0.09 |
| Alcohol (n,%) | 2 (2.5) | 0 (0) | 2 (4.7) | 0.3 |
| Other (n,%) | 22 (27.8) | 8 (21.6) | 14 (33.3) | 0.07 |
| Comorbidities | ||||
| Hypertension (n,%) | 69 (87.3%) | 31(83.7%) | 38 (90.4%) | 0.2 |
| Atrial fibrillation (n,%) | 41(51.8%) | 19(51.3%) | 22(52.3%) | 0.7 |
| Diabetes Mellitus (n,%) | 21 (26.5%) | 8 (21.6%) | 13 (30.9%) | 0.3 |
| CKD (n,%) | 33 (41.7%) | 13 (35.1%) | 20 (47.6%) | 0.2 |
| COPD (n,%) | 7 (8.85) | 4 (10.85) | 3 (7.1%) | 0.5 |
| Charlson index (n,%) | 4.14 (2.01) | 3.83 (2.04) | 4.4 (2.06) | 0.2 |
| NYHA class (n,%) | ||||
| I | 1 (1.25) | 1 (2.7%) | 0 (0%) | |
| II | 35 (44.3%) | 15 (40.5%) | 20 (47.6%) | |
| III | 40 (50.6%) | 19 (51.3%) | 21 (50%) | |
| IV | 3 (3.7%) | 2 (5.4%) | 1 (2.3%) | |
| Everest score (n,%) | 2.15 (1.83) | 2.19 (1.85) | 2.12 (1.86) | 0.85 |
| Treatment | ||||
| ACE-I/ARB (n,%) | 77 (97.4%) | 36 (97.2%) | 41 (97.6%) | 0.9 |
| B-blocker (n,%) | 64 (81%) | 30 (81%) | 34 (80.9%) | 0.78 |
| Loop diuretics (n,%) | 74 (93.6%) | 36 (97.2%) | 38 (90.4%) | 0.16 |
| Spironolactone (n,%) | 26 (32.9%) | 12 (32.4%) | 14 (33.3%) | 0.11 |
| Other diuretics (n,%) | 13 (16.4%) | 4 (10.8%) | 9 (21.4%) | 0.6 |
| Digoxin (n,%) | 3 (3.7%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (6.3%) | 0.11 |
| Anticoagulation (n,%) | 44 (55.6%) | 22 (59.4%) | 24 (57.1%) | 0.61 |
| B-lines (>3) | ||||
| RUC | 14 (35.9%) | |||
| LUC | 10 (25.7%) | |||
| RLC | 17 (53.6%) | |||
| LLC | 15 (38.4%) | |||
| Pleural effusion (n, %) | 8 (20.5%) | |||
| LVEF > 50% (n, %) | 41 (51.8) | 18 (48.6%) | 23 (54.7%) | 0.7 |
| Laboratory results | ||||
| NT-proBNP (pg/mL) Median (IQR 25–75) |
4159 (2218–8073) | 3818 (2124–7553) | 4938 (2403–8780) | 0.9 |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) (mean, SD) | 1.34 (0.53) | 1.23 (0.51) | 1.43 (0.55) | 0.14 |
| eGFR (mL/min) (mean, SD) | 49.2 (20.9) | 53.1 (19.8) | 46 (21.5) | 0.14 |
| Haemoglobin (mg/dL) (mean, SD) |
11.9 (1.7) | 11.7 (1.7) | 12 (1.7) | 0.49 |
Legend: LUS: lung ultrasound; SOC: standard of care management group; CKD: chronic renal disease; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; NYHA: New York Heart Association classification; ACE: angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB: angiotensin-2 receptor antagonist; RUC: Right upper cuadrant; LUL: Left upper cuadrant; RLL: Right lower cuadrant; LLL: Left lower cuadrant; LVEF: left ventricular ejection fraction; IQR: interquartile range; eGFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate.