Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure
05:16

Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure

Published on: June 10, 2025

261

High ward occupancy, bedspacing, and 60 day mortality for patients with myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart

Andreas Asheim1,2, Sara Marie Nilsen1, Stina Aam3,4

  • 1Center for Health Care Improvement, St. Olav's Hospital HF, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.

ESC Heart Failure
|March 28, 2022
PubMed

Insights

High hospital ward occupancy increases the risk of heart failure patients being moved to different wards and may negatively impact their outcomes. This finding highlights the importance of managing hospital capacity for cardiovascular disease patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Health Services Research
  • Hospital Management

Background:

  • Hospital ward crowding is a growing concern in healthcare systems.
  • Understanding the impact of ward occupancy on patient outcomes is crucial for effective resource allocation.
  • Cardiovascular disease patients represent a significant patient population often requiring acute care admission.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the consequences of crowded hospital wards on patients with acute cardiovascular conditions.
  • To determine if increased ward occupancy affects patient admission to alternate wards and mortality rates.
  • To identify specific cardiovascular patient groups most vulnerable to the effects of high ward occupancy.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective cohort study involving over 200,000 patients admitted for myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure in Norwegian hospitals (2008-2016).
  • Comparison of patient outcomes based on varying levels of home ward occupancy during comparable time periods and hospitals.
  • Standardization of occupancy data to compare the effect of interquartile range increases in ward occupancy.

Main Results:

  • A one-unit increase in home ward occupancy was associated with a 7% higher odds of admission to an alternate ward.
  • Increased ward occupancy correlated with a shorter length of stay by approximately 0.10 days.
  • Heart failure patients experienced a 15% higher odds of alternate ward admission and an 8% increase in mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated home ward occupancy significantly increases the likelihood of heart failure patients being admitted to alternate wards.
  • High ward occupancy appears to negatively impact heart failure patients, potentially leading to increased mortality.
  • No significant effect on mortality was observed for myocardial infarction or stroke patients related to ward occupancy.
Abstract

Keywords:
BedspacingHeart failureMortalityMyocardial infarctionStrokeWard occupancy

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