PROGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE DECOMPENSATED HEART FAILURE IN THE ELDERLY

Abstract

Background: Heart failure is a clinical syndrome characterized by symptoms of dyspnea, orthopnea and fatigue associated with signs of an elevated jugular venous pressure, pulmonary crackles and peripheral edema as a result of either structural or functional abnormalities that lead to insufficient cardiac output . Older people are under-represented in clinical trials so efficacy and safety of evidence-based therapies is uncertain and often extrapolated from trials in younger populations .Aim: The aim was to describe the demographic and clinical presentations of those patients admitted with acute decompensated heart failure focusing on clinically relevant co morbidities, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches undertaken in the routine practice. Patients and Methods:this study included all patients admitted to Alexandria Main University Hospital with signs and symptoms of acute decompensated heart failure between October 2023 and March 2024.Results: This is an observational prospective cohort study of patients with signs and symptoms of acute decompensated heart failure who were admitted to Alexandria Main University Hospital between October 2023 and March 2024. Patient were classified according to Age to below and above 65years old to demonstrate the difference in management and prognosis between two groups according to symptoms, laboratory finding,hospitalization, echocardiographic data and compliance on medications in our heart failure outpatient clinic.. Our study enrolled 265 patients with acute decompensated heart failure which were further divided into two groups:Group I : from age of 18 years to 65years (116 patients).Group II : above age of 65years (149 patients).