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Palliative care in heart failure.
Isabel O Cruz1, Céu Rocha2, Hugo M Oliveira2
1Serviço de Medicina Interna, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Matosinhos, Portugal.
Summary
Palliative care for heart failure patients is crucial for symptom management. This study found that patients referred to palliative care were often in advanced stages, highlighting the need for earlier intervention.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Palliative Medicine
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a widespread condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
- Palliative care plays a vital role in managing symptoms for HF patients.
- Characterizing referred patients can optimize interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the characteristics of heart failure patients referred to a Palliative Care Team.
- To identify patients who would benefit from early and consistent palliative care interventions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of heart failure patients.
- Data collected from January 2015 to December 2017.
- Inclusion criteria: patients referred to the palliative care team.
Main Results:
- 54 heart failure patients (mean age 80) were analyzed.
- Most patients (94.4%) were referred during hospitalization.
- High 6-month mortality rate (83.3%) indicated advanced disease stage at referral.
Conclusions:
- The study characterizes heart failure patients in palliative care.
- No specific clinical sign predicted one-month mortality.
- High mortality suggests patients are referred late in their disease trajectory or frailty.
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