ObjectivesWe investigated the natural history of patients after a first episode of acute heart failure (FEAHF) requiring emergency department (ED) consultation, focusing on: the frequency of ED visits and hospitalisations, departments admitting patients during the first and subsequent hospitalisations, and factors associated with difficult disease control.We included consecutive patients diagnosed with FEAHF (either with or without previous heart failure diagnosis) in four EDs during 5 months in three different time periods (2009, 2011, 2014). Diagnosis was adjudicated by local principal investigators. The clinical characteristics of the index event were prospectively recorded, and all post-discharge ED visits and hospitalisations [related/unrelated to acute heart failure (AHF)], as well as departments involved in subsequent hospitalisations were retrospectively ascertained. 'Uncontrolled disease' during the first year after FEAHF was considered if patients were attended at ED (≥ 3 times) or hospitalised (≥ 2 times) for AHF or died. Overall, 505 patients with FEAHF were included and followed for a mean of 2.4 years. In-hospital mortality was 7.5%. Among 467 patients discharged alive, 288 died [median survival 3.9 years, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.5-4.4], 421 (90%) revisited the ED (2342 ED visits; 42.4% requiring hospitalisation, 34.0% AHF-related) and 357 Ò. Miró et al.(77%) were hospitalised (1054 hospitalisations; 94.1% through ED, 51.4% AHF-related). AHF-related hospitalisations were mainly in internal medicine (28.0%), short-stay unit (26.3%), cardiology (20.8%), and geriatrics (14.1%). Only 47.4% of AHF-related hospitalisations were in the same department as the FEAHF, and internal medicine involvement significantly increased with subsequent hospitalisations (P = 0.01). Uncontrolled disease was observed in 31% of patients, which was independently related to age > 80 years [odds ratio (OR) 1.80, 95% CI 1.17-2.77], systolic blood pressure < 110 mmHg at ED arrival (OR 2.61, 95% CI 1. 26-5.38) and anaemia (OR 2.39, 95% CI

Background: Physical examination remains the cornerstone in the assessment of acute heart failure. There is a lack of adequately powered studies assessing the combined impact of both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and hypoperfusion on short-term mortality. Methods: Patients with acute heart failure from 41 Spanish emergency departments were recruited consecutively in 3 time periods between 2011 and 2016. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of 30-day mortality with SBP (<90, 90–109, 110–129, and ≥130 mm Hg) and with manifestations of hypoperfusion (cold skin, cutaneous pallor, delayed capillary refill, livedo reticularis, and mental confusion) at admission. Results: Among 10 979 patients, 1143 died within the first 30 days (10.2%). There was an inverse association between 30-day mortality and initial SBP (35.4%, 18.9%, 12.4%, and 7.5% for SBP<90, SBP 90–109, SBP 110–129, and SBP≥130 mm Hg, respectively; P <0.001) and a positive association with hypoperfusion (8.0%, 14.8%, and 27.6% for those with none, 1, ≥2 signs/symptoms of hypoperfusion, respectively; P <0.001). After adjustment for 11 risk factors, the prognostic impact of hypoperfusion on 30-day mortality varied across SBP categories: SBP≥130 mm Hg (odds ratio [OR]=1.03 [95% CI, 0.77–1.36] and OR=1.18 [95% CI, 0.86–1.62] for 1 and ≥2 compared with 0 manifestations of hypoperfusion), SBP 110 to 129 mm Hg (OR=1.23 [95% CI, 0.86–1.77] and OR=2.18 [95% CI, 1.44–3.31], respectively), SBP 90 to 109 mm Hg (OR=1.29 [95% CI, 0.79–2.10] and OR=2.24 [95% CI, 1.36–3.66], respectively), and SBP<90 mm Hg (OR=1.34 [95% CI, 0.45–4.01] and OR=3.22 [95% CI, 1.30–7.97], respectively); P -for-interaction =0.043. Conclusions: Hypoperfusion confers an incremental risk of 30-day all-cause mortality not only in patients with low SBP but also in normotensive patients. On admission, physical examination plays a major role in determining prognosis in patients with acute heart failure.

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