ACUTE HEART FAILURE PATIENTS

Objectives: The objective of the study is to identify the precipitating factorsamong the patients presenting with AHF (Acute Heart Failure). Study Design: Cross sectionalstudy. Setting: Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore. Duration of Study: 6 months. From01-01-2007 to 30-06-2007. Methodology: The calculated sample size was 170 cases with 5%margin of error, 95% confidence level taking expected percentage of uncontrolled hypertensioni.e. 12% (least percentage among all precipitating factors). Results: In the study group, mostlypatients of AHF were young with mean age of 55 + 6.99 years, male (61.8%), Diabetic (53.5%)and have history of chronic Heart Failure (63.5%). In male the most common precipitating factorof AHF was ACS (39.04%) while in female uncontrolled hypertension (38.46%). Conclusion:In diabetic patients the most common precipitating factor of AHF was ACS (30.7%). In patientswith acute decompensation of chronic heart failure the most common precipitating factor wasnon-compliance of medication (30.55%) while in patients with de novo Acute Heart Failure itwas ACS (41.93%). ACS was the common precipitating factor of Acute Heart Failure (28.2%)among the study group irrespective of gender, diabetes and history of Heart Failure.