[Severe aortic stenosis in a critical condition]

There is little information about patients with severe aortic stenosis (SAS) who require admission to acute care units. We studied 27 patients with SAS admitted in a tertiary hospital coronary care unit. The most frequent reasons for admission were severe heart failure (42%), acute coronary syndrome (39%) and cardiac arrest (8%). At a mean follow-up of 6.5 months, 11 patients died. Cumulative survival was 74±8%, 70±9%, and 62±10% at 7, 30 and 60 days, respectively. Out of the 27 patients, 13 (48%) underwent surgical intervention, these patients having lower Euroscore (13±11 vs. 34±18%, p=0.002) and higher survival (92±7% at 7, 30 and 60 days vs. 50±13%, 40±14% and 30±14%; p=0.002). Thus, patients with SAS who require hospitalization in the intensive care units constitute a very high risk population, with very high mortality, especially during the first week after admission and in patients who have not undergone surgery.