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Increases in heart failure visits after Christmas and New Year's Day

Lisa Armstrong Reedman1, John R Allegra, Dennis G Cochrane

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Morristown Memorial Hospital, 100 Madison Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07962, USA. lisareedman@yahoo.com

Congestive Heart Failure (Greenwich, Conn.)
|December 17, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Emergency department (ED) visits for heart failure (HF) significantly increased during the Christmas holiday period and the days following. This rise in HF ED visits was even greater than previously reported increases in cardiac death rates.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Public Health
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Previous research indicated increased cardiac death rates during holiday seasons.
  • The holiday period may present unique stressors or changes in care access for heart failure patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if emergency department (ED) visits for heart failure (HF) increase during the Christmas holiday period.
  • To compare the rate of HF ED visits during holidays versus non-holiday periods.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 4.7 million patient records from 18 EDs in New Jersey and New York (1996-2004).
  • HF visits were analyzed between December 1 and January 31, with specific focus on holiday periods (Dec 25-Jan 7).
  • Student t-test was used to compare mean daily HF visits during holiday and non-holiday intervals.

Main Results:

  • A 23% increase in daily HF ED visits was observed from December 25 to January 7.
  • Significant increases were noted in the 4 days following Christmas (33%) and New Year's (30%).
  • The rise in HF ED visits during holidays exceeded previously reported increases in sudden cardiac death rates.

Conclusions:

  • The holiday season is associated with a significant increase in emergency department visits for heart failure.
  • Healthcare providers should anticipate and prepare for higher HF patient volumes during and immediately following the Christmas and New Year holidays.
  • Further research is warranted to understand the specific factors contributing to this holiday-related increase in HF exacerbations.

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