Trends in hospitalization for heart failure in Scotland 1980–1990

Heart failure is a growing public health problem in industrialized countries with ageing populations. Scotland has a relatively stable population of approximately 5 million and a well described system for recording details of hospitalizations (Scottish Hospital In-Patients Statistics-SHIPS). We have...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European heart journal 1993-09, Vol.14 (9), p.1158-1162
Main Authors: MCMURRAY, J., MCDONAGH, T., MORRISON, C. E., DARGIE, H. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Cardiology. Vascular system
Chronic Disease
Female
health economics
health services utilization
Heart
Heart failure
Heart Failure - epidemiology
Heart Failure - mortality
Heart failure, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, cardiac enlargement
Hospital Mortality
Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data
Hospitalization - trends
Humans
Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Patient Discharge - statistics & numerical data
Scotland - epidemiology
Survival Rate
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Summary:Heart failure is a growing public health problem in industrialized countries with ageing populations. Scotland has a relatively stable population of approximately 5 million and a well described system for recording details of hospitalizations (Scottish Hospital In-Patients Statistics-SHIPS). We have examined SHIPS data for hospitalizations for heart failure in Scotland 1980–1990. Discharges for heart failure as the primary diagnosis increased by almost 60%, from 1.30 to 2.12/1000 population in this period (as either primary or secondary diagnosis the rate increased from 2.51 to 4.24/1000). Seventy-eight percent of discharges were in persons aged ≥ 65 years and 48% of discharges were male. Heart failure (primary diagnosis) accounted for almost 4% of all general (internal) medicine discharges. In-patient case fatality was 18% in 1990. Mean duration of in-patient stay on Internal Medicine wards was approximately 11 days. The number of hospitalizations for heart failure is now almost identical to those for myocardial infarction. These trends mirror those recently reported from the United States. Heart failure is an increasingly common and costly cause of hospitalization in Scotland. Approaches which can reduce this burden on the hospital service require urgent attention.
ISSN:0195-668X
1522-9645
DOI:10.1093/eurheartj/14.9.1158