Longer-than-average length of stay in acute heart failure : Determinants and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Increased length of stay (LOS) during acute heart failure (HF) hospitalization is associated with readmission and mortality.

METHODS: The ESCAPE trial data were utilized to identify determinants and post-discharge outcomes of patients with acute systolic HF requiring longer-than-average LOS (≥7 days). The study endpoints were 6‑month all-cause mortality, all-cause rehospitalization, and the composite endpoint of death, cardiac rehospitalization, and cardiac transplant.

RESULTS: Among the 424 patients with recorded LOS, 216 (50.9%) and 208 (49.1%) had LOS ≥ or <7 days, respectively. Independent determinants of longer-than-average LOS included older age (OR per 10-year increase: 1.759, 95% CI: 1.120-2.763, p = 0.014), higher blood urea nitrogen (OR per 5 mg/dl increase: 1.202, 95% CI: 1.024-1.410, p = 0.024), greater inferior vena cava diameter (OR per 1 cm increase: 2.453, 95% CI: 1.175-5.121, p = 0.017), and lower sodium (OR per 4 mmol/l increase: 0.494, 95% CI: 0.268-0.911, p = 0.024). We found a significant correlation between right-sided failure (right atrial pressure) and LOS (r = 0.229, p = 0.001) but not left-sided failure (pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, r = 0.099, p = 0.177). Patients with longer-than-average LOS had a significantly higher mortality (25.9% vs. 12%, univariate OR: 2.562, 95% CI: 1.528-4.296, p &lt; 0.001), higher all-cause rehospitalization (63% vs. 53.4%, univariate OR: 1.486, 95% CI: 1.008-2.190, p = 0.046) and higher frequency of the composite endpoint of death, cardiac rehospitalization, and cardiac transplant (61.6% vs. 45.2%, univariate OR: 1.943, 95% CI: 1.320-2.862, p = 0.001) compared with an LOS of <7 days. Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that a longer-than-average LOS was an independent predictor of 6‑month all-cause mortality (HR: 1.930, 95% CI: 1.112-3.350, p = 0.019).

CONCLUSION: In acute HF, right ventricular failure and renal dysfunction predict longer-than-average LOS, which is a proxy for more severe HF and is associated with worse postdischarge outcomes.