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Aims This study aimed to determine the frequency of detectable relaxin-2 concentrations and associated factors in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) and to establish relationships with short-term outcome and clinical and analytical parameters. Methods and results We performed a prospective, analytical, observational, multicentre study with cohort follow-up. We collected sociodemographic variables, previous history, basal status, previous treatment, vital signs, electrocardiographic and analytical data in the emergency department. Relaxin-2 was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (detection limit: 1.5 pg/mL). The primary event was 30-day all-cause mortality. We compared clinical characteristics and outcomes between patients with undetectable and detectable concentrations, and across concentration quartile groups in the latter. We analysed data for 522 patients (mean ± standard deviation age: 80.9 ± 9.1 years; 53.6% women). In 92 (17.6%) patients, relaxin-2 concentrations were undetectable. This finding was associated with male sex, absence of heart valve disease and treatment with aldosterone receptor antagonists. The incidence of 30-day mortality was significantly lower (2.2% vs. 9.1%; P = 0.03) in these patients even after adjustment for differences between groups (hazard ratio: 0.22, 95% confidence interval 0.05–0.92; P = 0.038). There were no associations with age or sex. Among the 430 (82.4%) patients with detectable relaxin-2 concentrations, values did not differ between subjects who remained alive [median: 30.9 pg/mL; interquartile range (IQR) 15.8–74.7 pg/mL] and those who had died (median: 30.9 pg/mL; IQR 15.6–85.2 pg/mL) (P = 0.89). Analysis of patients according to relaxin-2 concentration quartiles showed no differences in mortality. Relaxin-2 was correlated, albeit weakly, with haemoglobin values (R2 = 0.018, P = 0.005), but not with NT-proBNP, age or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Conclusions Patients with AHF and undetectable relaxin-2 concentrations have lower 30-day mortality. In contrast, there were no linear relationships between blood concentrations within the measurable range and mortality, NT-proBNP or LVEF.

To determine the validity of the classic sepsis criteria or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, and leukocyte count) and the modified sepsis criteria (systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria plus glycemia and altered mental status), and the validity of each of these variables individually to predict 30-day mortality, as well as develop a predictive model of 30-day mortality in elderly patients attended for infection in emergency departments (ED).A prospective cohort study including patients at least 75 years old attended in three Spanish university ED for infection during 2013 was carried out. Demographic variables and data on comorbidities, functional status, hemodynamic sepsis diagnosis variables, site of infection, and 30-day mortality were collected.A total of 293 patients were finally included, mean age 84.0 (SD 5.5) years, and 158 (53.9%) were men. Overall, 185 patients (64%) fulfilled the classic sepsis criteria and 224 patients (76.5%) fulfilled the modified sepsis criteria. The all-cause 30-day mortality was 13.0%. The area under the curve of the classic sepsis criteria was 0.585 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.488-0.681; P=0.106], 0.594 for modified sepsis criteria (95% CI: 0.502-0.685; P=0.075), and 0.751 (95% CI: 0.660-0.841; P0.001) for the GYM score (Glasgow15; tachYpnea20 bpm; Morbidity-Charlson index ≥3) to predict 30-day mortality, with statistically significant differences (P=0.004 and P0.001, respectively). The GYM score showed good calibration after bootstrap correction, with an area under the curve of 0.710 (95% CI: 0.605-0.815).The GYM score showed better capacity than the classic and the modified sepsis criteria to predict 30-day mortality in elderly patients attended for infection in the ED.

We tested the hypothesis that early measurement of galectin-3 at the emergency department (ED) during an episode of acute heart failure (AHF) allows predicting short- and long-term outcomes.We performed an exploratory study including 115 patients consecutively diagnosed with AHF in a single ED. Clinical and analytical variables were recorded. The primary endpoint was 30-day all-cause mortality, and secondary endpoints were 30-day composite outcome (death, rehospitalization or ED reconsultation, whichever first) and 1-year mortality.Seven patients (6.1%) died within 30 days and 43 (37.4%) within 1 year. The 30-day composite endpoint was observed in 21.1% of patients. Galectin-3 was correlated with NT-proBNP and the glomerular filtration rate but not with age and s-cTnI. Measured at time of ED arrival, galectin-3 showed good discriminatory capacity for 30-day mortality (AUC ROC: 0.732; 95% CI 0.512-0.953; p = 0.041) but not for 1-year mortality (0.521; 0.408-0.633; p = 0.722). Patients with galectin-3 concentrations 42 μg/L had an OR = 7.67(95%CI = 1.57-37.53; p = 0.012) for 30-day mortality. Conversely, NT-proBNP only showed predictive capacity for 1-year mortality (0.642; 0.537-0.748; p = 0.014). Patients with NT-proBNP concentrations 5400 ng/L had an OR = 4.34 (95%CI = 1.93-9.77; p 0.001) for 1-year mortality. These increased short- (galectin-3) and long-term (NT-proBNP) risks remained significant after adjustment for age or renal function. s-cTnI failed in both short- and long term death prediction. No biomarker predicted the short-term composite endpoint.These results suggest that galectin-3 could help to monitor the risk of short-term mortality in unselected patients with AHF attended in the ED.

Background Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding mainly due to the lack of access to inpatient beds negatively affects safety and quality of care. Implementation of ED short-stay units (EDSSUs) may help to mitigate this situation. Objectives To describe the general characteristics and evaluate the activity of EDSSUs in Spanish hospitals. Methods This is a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was sent to coordinators responsible for the EDSSUs identified among Spanish hospitals appearing on the Ministry of Health Web page. Data regarding structure, caseloads, and clinical management practices were collected. Results Among the 591 hospitals surveyed, 35 EDSSUs (5.9%) were identified and 23 participated in the study. Admissions to EDSSUs over different periods in 2011 were assessed: 12-month activity in 17 EDSSUs and between 5 and 10.5 months in six EDSSUs. A total of 25,568 patients with a mean age of 67.2 ± 9.8 years were admitted, representing between 6% and 16.3% of hospital admissions from the ED. The most frequent diagnoses were acute heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation, and urinary and respiratory tract infections. The average length of stay (LOS) was 2.6 ± 1.1 days (range 1.2–5.3), in-hospital mortality 0.59% (range 0–2.68), and the 30-day readmission rate after discharge was 6.7% (range 0–14.6). Conclusions To date, only a few Spanish hospitals have implemented EDSSUs. Prevalent infections and exacerbation of chronic conditions are the most frequent causes for admission. Considering LOS, 30-day readmission rate and mortality, EDSSUs appear to be safe and effective and might be considered a tool to alleviate ED overcrowding.

Resumen Introduccion El objetivo principal fue determinar la frecuencia de pacientes que reciben terapia antibiotica inapropiada y evaluar los resultados en terminos de estancia media, reingreso y mortalidad a 30 dias. Metodos Estudio observacional de cohortes retrospectivo que incluyo a todos los pacientes ingresados por infeccion desde un Servicio de Urgencias (SU) durante un mes. Se recogieron variables demograficas, comorbilidad, factores de riesgo de multirresistencia, foco de infeccion, resultados microbiologicos y antibiotico prescrito en el SU. Las variables de resultado fueron el tiempo de estancia, y la mortalidad y el reingreso a 30 dias. Resultados Se incluyeron 376 pacientes con una edad media de 71,1 (DE 21) anos. Las infecciones mas frecuentes fueron respiratoria (45,7%) y urinaria (23,9%). El numero de pacientes con una estancia superior a la mediana (≥ 9 dias), reingreso y mortalidad a los 30 dias fue de 165 (46,1%), 74 (19,7%) y 44 (11,7%) pacientes, respectivamente. La prescripcion inapropiada del tratamiento antibiotico en el SU se produjo en 42 (11,2%) casos. Tras ajustar por los datos demograficos, la comorbilidad, los factores de riesgo para patogenos resistentes, la presencia de sepsis en el SU y el foco de infeccion, la prescripcion inapropiada se asocio a una estancia prolongada (OR 2,22; IC95% 1,07-4,60; p = 0,032), pero no a un aumento de la mortalidad (p = 0,271) o de los reingresos (p = 0,784) a los 30 dias. Conclusion La prescripcion inapropiada del tratamiento antibiotico empirico en los pacientes ingresados por un proceso infeccioso desde el SU provoca una estancia prolongada, pero no un incremento de la mortalidad o del reingreso.

Introduction The main objective of the study was to determine the frequency of patients receiving inappropriate empiric antibiotic therapy and to assess the impact in terms of increase length of hospital stay, 30-day re-admissions, and 30-day mortality. Methods An observational retrospective cohort study was conducted over a one-month period that included all patients hospitalised from an Emergency Department (ED) due to infection. Demographic variables, comorbidity, multi-resistance risk factors, site of infection, microbiological findings, and antibiotic prescribed in ED were collected. Outcomes were length of hospital stay, 30-day re-admissions, and 30-day mortality. Results A total of 376 patients were included, with a mean age of 71.1 (SD 21) years. The most frequent causes were respiratory (45.7%) and urine (23.9%) infections. The number of patients with length of stay over the median (≥9 days) was 165 (46.1%), with re-admissions 74 (19.7%), and mortality at 30 days 44 (11.7%). There was inappropriate antibiotic treatment in 42 (11.2%) cases. After adjusting for demographic data, comorbidity, risk factors for multidrug resistant organism, presence of sepsis criteria in ED, and site of infection, inappropriate treatment was associated with an extended length of hospital stay (OR 2.22; 95% CI; 1.07–4.60; p = 0.032), but did not to an increase in mortality (p = 0.271) or re-admission (p = 0.784) at 30 days. Conclusion The inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy in patients admitted from the ED leads to an extended hospital stay, but did not increase mortality or readmission.

Objective: To analyse the changes in epidemiology, outpatient and emergency department clinical care, and outcomes of patients treated for acute heart failure (AHF) in Spanish hospital emergency departments (HEDs) between 2007 and 2014. Method: A multicentre cohort study was conducted that consecutively included patients with AHF diagnosed in 9 HEDs during 4 periods (2007, 2009, 2011 and 2014). The study analysed the changes observed in 20 variables corresponding to baseline data, outpatient care and emergency care data and outcome data. Results: A total of 4,845 patients were included. There were significant changes in 13 variables: there was an increase in patients older than 80 years (2007/2014: 45.9%/55.4%; P

Evaluate the use of different cardiac troponin (cTn) immunoassays and the prognostic value of increased cTn values in patients diagnosed with acute heart failure (AHF) in the emergency department (ED).The epidemiology acute heart failure emergency-TROPonin in acute heart failure2 (EAHFE-TROPICA2) is a retrospective study including patients with AHF admitted in 34 Spanish EDs with cTn values determined in the ED. We studied the prevalence of elevated troponin (value above the established reference limit) for the different types of troponin. We also assessed crude and adjusted primary (1-year all-cause death) and secondary (30 d ED revisit due to AHF) outcomes for every type of cTn and different magnitudes of troponin elevation.We analysed 4705 episodes of AHF. Troponin was elevated in 48.4% of the cases (25.3% in cTnI, 37.9% in cTnT and 82.2% in hs-cTnT). Mortality at one year was higher in patients with elevated troponin (adjusted HR 1.61; CI 95% 1.38-1.88) regardless of the type of cTn determined. Elevated troponin was not related to ED revisit within 30 d after discharge (1.01; 0.87-1.19).The use of conventional troponin in the ED is useful to predict one-year mortality in patients with AHF. Highly sensitive cTnT (hs-cTnT) elevations less than double the reference value have no impact on patient outcome.

Resumen Objetivo Determinar el perfil clinico y el manejo inicial de los pacientes ancianos atendidos por infeccion aguda en los servicios de Urgencias hospitalarios espanoles y estudiar si existen diferencias en relacion con los adultos mas jovenes. Metodologia Estudio descriptivo transversal multicentrico a partir de los datos del registro INFURG-SEMES, que incluye a 79.654 pacientes de 15 anos o mas atendidos por una infeccion aguda en 49 servicios de Urgencias hospitalarios espanoles entre el 10 octubre del 2010 y el 20 de septiembre del 2011. Se recogieron variables demograficas, del perfil clinico y de la atencion en Urgencias. La variable clasificadora fue tener 65 anos o mas. Resultados Del total de 11.399 casos, 4.255 (37,3%) tenian 65 anos o mas. Al comparar a los ancianos con los adultos mas jovenes, se encontraron diferencias estadisticamente significativas en cuanto a la presencia de alta comorbilidad (p Conclusiones Existen importantes diferencias en el perfil y el manejo de los pacientes con infeccion aguda atendidos en los SUH espanoles en funcion de la edad, que deben ser tenidas en cuenta de cara a desarrollar estrategias de mejora de la calidad y posibles lineas de investigacion futura.

To describe the pattern of care usually given to patients with acute heart failure (AHF) who are taking sacubitril/valsartan (SV) and to explore the effects of care characteristics on clinical outcomes.Exploratory study of AHF cases in patients taking SV who were included in the register for the Epidemiology of Acute Heart Failure in Emergency Departments during the sixth period of data collection (EAHFE-6). We extracted baseline and episode variables and information related to SV treatment. We also analyzed associations between the discontinuation of SV therapy and adverse events within 180 days (all-cause mortality) and after discharge (emergency revisits, admission for AHF, death from any cause, or a composite event).. Fifty patients on SV were included. The median time on SV therapy was 81 days (interquartile range, 43-284 days). SV was discontinued in 19 cases (38%; 5 in the emergency department and 14 on the ward). Sixteen records specified the reason for discontinuing SV: renal insufficiency, 4 cases; arterial hypotension, 3; weakness/dizziness, 3; and exacerbated AHF, 3. SV discontinuation was associated with older age, absence of treatment with a betablocker, and hyperkalemia. The EAHFE-6 cases did not reveal significant differences related to SV discontinuation with respect to the rates of adverse events within 180 days or on discharge after the index event.Long-term SV therapy is discontinued in over a third of patients who present with exacerbated AHF even though no association with clinical outcomes could be identified.Identificar el patrón de práctica clínica habitual respecto al tratamiento crónico con sacubitrilo-valsartán (SV) durante los episodios de insuficiencia cardiaca aguda (ICA), sus determinantes y su efecto sobre la evolución.Estudio exploratorio de pacientes con ICA incluidos en el Registro EAHFE-6 en tratamiento crónico con SV. Se recogieron características basales, del episodio y del tratamiento con SV, y se identificaron factores relacionados con la interrupción de SV y su asociación con eventos adversos 180 días postevento índice (mortalidad por cualquier causa) y postalta (reconsulta a urgencias u hospitalización por ICA, muerte o evento combinado).Se incluyeron 50 pacientes (mediana desde inicio de SV: 81 días; RIC: 43-284) y SV se interrumpió en 19 casos (38%; 5 en urgencias, 14 en hospitalización). Se identificó un motivo de retirada en 16 casos (4 por insuficiencia renal; y 3 por hipotensión arterial, hiperpotasemia, debilidad/mareo y empeoramiento de ICA, respectivamente). La retirada de SV se asoció con edad avanzada, no estar en tratamiento con betabloqueantes e hiperpotasemia. No hubo diferencias significativas entre grupos en eventos adversos a los 180 días postevento índice o postalta.En los pacientes en tratamiento crónico con SV que presentan ICA, este es suspendido en más de un tercio de casos, si bien ello no se asocia con cambios evolutivos.

Increasing numbers of older persons are being treated by specialties other than Geriatric Medicine. Specialists turn to Geriatric Teams when they need to accurately stratify their patients' risk and prognosis, predict the potential impact of their, often, invasive interventions, optimise their clinical status, and contribute to discharge planning. Oncology and Haematology, Cardiology, General Surgery, and other surgical departments are examples where such collaborative working is already established, to a varying extent. The use of the term "Cross-speciality Geriatrics" is suggested when geriatric care is provided in clinical areas traditionally outside the reach of Geriatric Teams. The core principles of Geriatric Medicine (comprehensive geriatric assessment, patient-centred multidisciplinary targeted interventions, and input at point-of-care) are adapted to the specifics of each specialty and applied to frail older patients in order to deliver a holistic assessment/treatment, better patient/carer experience, and improved clinical outcomes. Using Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment methodology and Frailty scoring in such patients provides invaluable prognostic information, helps in decision making, and enables personalised treatment strategies. There is evidence that such an approach improves the efficiency of health care systems and patient outcomes. This article includes a review of these concepts, describes existing models of care, presents the most commonly used clinical tools, and offers examples of excellence in this new era of geriatric care. In an ever ageing population it is likely that teams will be asked to provide Cross-specialty Geriatrics across different Health Care systems. The fundamentals for its implementation are in place, but further evidence is required to guide future development and consolidation, making it one of the most important challenges for Geriatrics in the coming years.

Background The MEESSI-acute heart failure (AHF) risk score has high accuracy in the prediction of 30-day mortality in patients presenting with AHF and may be considered the current gold standard for this indication. Purpose As the original MEESSI model does not include measurements of inflammatory biomarkers, the impact of interleukin-6 or C-reactive protein (CRP) on the model's goodness of fit is unknown. Methods In a prospective multicenter diagnostic study the presence of AHF was centrally adjudicated by two independent cardiologists among patients presenting with acute dyspnea to the ED. The MEESSI-AHF risk score was calculated using a recalibrated model containing 12 independent risk factors. The incremental value of interleukin-6 and CRP was examined by the use of logistic regression analysis and enter method variable selection with an entry criterion of p Results In 1247 patients with adjudicated AHF, the MEESSI-AHF risk score was calculated. Of these, 1113 patients (89.3%) had available measurements of interleukin-6 and CRP. In the logistic regression analysis both biomarkers had a highly significant impact on the MEESSI model (p Discrimination original_updated Conclusion There is significant incremental value of interleukin-6 and CRP to the MEESSI score as indicated by the improved goodness of fit compared to the original model. Acknowledgement/Funding European Union, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Heart Foundation, the Cardiovascular Research Foundation Basel

Background Lately, the novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) Access assay was developed. Its clinical performance in patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department (ED) is unknown. Purpose To clinically validate the novel hs-cTnI-Access assay and to derive and validate an assay specific 0/1h-algorithm accordingly to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recommendations. Methods In a prospective international multicentre study we enrolled patients presenting to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Final diagnoses were centrally adjudicated by two independent cardiologists including all clinical information including cardiac imaging twice: first, using serial hs-cTnT (Elecsys, primary analysis) and second, using hs-cTnI (Architect, secondary analysis) measurements in addition to the clinically used (hs)-cTn. Hs-cTnI-Access was measured at presentation and at 1h. Primary objective was a direct comparison of diagnostic accuracy as quantified by the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) of hs-cTnI-Access versus the two established hs-cTn assays (hs-cTnT-Elecsys, hs-cTnI-Architect). Secondary objectives included the derivation and internal validation of an hs-cTnI-Access specific 0/1h-algorithm. Results AMI was the adjudicated final diagnosis in 243/1579 (15.4%) patients. The AUC at presentation for hs-cTnI-Access was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.94–0.96), significantly higher as hs-cTnI-Architect (0.92 [95% CI, 0.91–0.94; p Performance of the 0/1h-algorithm Conclusions Diagnostic accuracy of the novel hs-cTnI-Access assay is excellent and at least comparable to the two established hs-cTn assays. The assay-specific 0/1h-algorithm allows a safe rule-out and accurate rule-in of MI in about 75% of patients within 1-hour after presentation to the ED. Survival of patients ruled-out by the 0/1h-algorithm was very high. Acknowledgement/Funding Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Heart Foundation, the KTI, the European Union, the Stiftung für kardiovaskuläre Forschung Basel

Background The novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI)-Vitros assay was developed recently. Before its possible implementation into routine clinical care for triage of chest pain patients, its performance needs clinical validation. Purpose To clinically validate hs-cTnI-Vitros and to derive and validate an assay-specific 0/1h-algorithm following the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recommendations. Methods In a prospective international multicentre study (12 centres in 5 European countries) we enrolled patients presenting to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Final diagnoses were centrally adjudicated by two independent cardiologists including all clinical information including cardiac imaging twice: first, using serial hs-cTnT (Elecsys, primary analysis) and second, using hs-cTnI (Architect, secondary analysis) measurements in addition to the clinically used (hs)-cTn. Hs-cTnI-Vitros was measured at presentation and at 1h in a blinded fashion. Primary objective was direct comparison of diagnostic accuracy as quantified by the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) of hs-cTnI-Vitros versus the two established hs-cTn assays (hs-cTnT-Elecsys, hs-cTnI-Architect). Secondary objectives included the derivation and validation of a hs-cTnI-Vitros specific 0/1h-algorithm. Results AMI was the adjudicated final diagnosis in 158/1231 (13%) patients. The AUC at presentation for hs-cTnI-Vitros was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.93–0.96), and significantly higher as hs-cTnT-Elecsys (0.94 [95% CI, 0.92–0.95; p=0.01]) and hs-cTnI-Architect (0.92 [95% CI, 0.90–0.94; p ROC Curves for the 3 hs-cTn assays at 0h Conclusions The novel hs-cTnI-Vitros assay has even higher diagnostic accuracy as the current gold-standards hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI. The hs-cTnI-Vitros specific 0/1h-algorithms allows a safe rule-out and accurate rule-in of AMI in about 70% of patients within 1h after presentation to the ED. Acknowledgement/Funding Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Heart Foundation, the KTI, the European Union, the Stiftung für kardiovaskuläre Forschung Basel

The aim was to develop a predictive model of infection by multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MDRO). A national, retrospective cohort study was carried out including all patients attended for an infectious disease in 54 Spanish Emergency Departments (ED), in whom a microbiological isolation was available from a culture obtained during their attention in the ED. A MDRO infection prediction model was created in a derivation cohort using backward logistic regression. Those variables significant at p0.05 assigned an integer score proportional to the regression coefficient. The model was then internally validated by k-fold cross-validation and in the validation cohort. A total of 5460 patients were included; 1345 (24.6%) were considered to have a MDRO infection. Twelve independent risk factors were identified in the derivation cohort and were combined into an overall score, the ATM (assessment of threat for MDRO) score. The model achieved an area under the curve-receiver operating curve of 0.76 (CI 95% 0.74-0.78) in the derivation cohort and 0.72 (CI 95% 0.70-0.75) in the validation cohort (p = 0.0584). Patients were then split into 6 risk categories and had the following rates of risk: 7% (0-2 points), 16% (3-5 points), 24% (6-9 points), 33% (10-14 points), 47% (15-21 points), and 71% (21 points). Findings were similar in the validation cohort. Several patient-specific factors were independently associated with MDRO infection risk. When integrated into a clinical prediction rule, higher risk scores and risk classes were related to an increased risk for MDRO infection. This clinical prediction rule could be used by providers to identify patients at high risk and help to guide antibiotic strategy decisions, while accounting for clinical judgment.

Pulmonary congestion (PC) is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization and death in patients with heart failure (HF). Lung ultrasound has shown to be highly sensitive for detecting PC in HF. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether lung ultrasound–guided therapy improves 6-month outcomes in patients with HF compared with conventional treatment. Randomized, multicenter, single-blind clinical trial in patients discharged from Internal Medicine Departments after hospitalization for decompensated HF. Participants will be assigned 1:1 to receive treatment guided according to the presence of lung ultrasound signs of congestion (semi-quantitative evaluation of B lines and the presence of pleural effusion) versus clinical assessment of congestion. The primary outcome is the combination of cardiovascular death and readmission for HF at 6 months. The results of this study will provide more evidence about the impact of lung ultrasound on treatment monitoring in patients with chronic HF.

Objective: To study the outcomes of patients with acute heart failure (AHF) presenting renal dysfunction (RD) or hyperkalaemia (Hk) alone or in combination. Method: We analysed the data of the EAHFE registry, a multicentre, non interventionist cohort with prospective follow-up of patients with AHF. Four groups were defined based on the presence or not of RD or Hk alone or in combination. The primary endpoint was 30-day all-cause mortality. Results: A total of 11,935 of the 13,791 patients included in the EAHFE registry were analysed. Of these, 5088 (42.6%) did not have RD or Hk (NoRD-NoHk), 150 (1.3%) had no RD but had Hk (NoRD-Hk), 6012 (50.4%) had RD but not Hk (RD-NoHk) and 685 (5.7%) had both RD and Hk (RD-Hk). Thirty-day all-cause mortality was greatest in the RD-Hk group with an adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) of 2.44 (confidence interval 95% [CI95%] 1.67-3.55; p < 0.001) and in the RD-NoHk group with an adjusted HR of 1.34 (CI95% 1.04-1.71; p = 0.022). There were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality and reconsultation at 30 days for HF. For the combined endpoint of 30-day all-cause mortality the adjusted HR was 1.33 (CI95% 1.04-1.70); (p = 0.021) for the RD-Hk group. Conclusions: The association of 30-day all-cause mortality with the presence of RD and Hk in patients presenting AHF at admission is greater than in those without this combination.

Lung ultrasound is a useful tool for the assessment of patients with both acute and chronic heart failure, but the use of different image acquisition methods, inconsistent reporting of the technique employed and variable quantification of 'B-lines,' have all made it difficult to compare published reports. We therefore need to ensure that future studies utilizing lung ultrasound in the assessment of heart failure adopt a standardized approach to reporting the quantification of pulmonary congestion. Strategies to improve patient care by use of lung ultrasound in the assessment of heart failure have been difficult to develop. In the present document, key aspects of standardization are discussed, including equipment used, number of chest zones assessed, the method of quantifying B-lines, the presence and timing of additional investigations (e.g. natriuretic peptides and echocardiography) and the impact of therapy. This consensus report includes a checklist to provide standardization in the preparation, review and analysis of manuscripts. This will serve as a guide for investigators and clinicians and enhance the quality and transparency of lung ultrasound research.

Objective: To compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with acute heart failure (AHF) according to clinical profiles based on congestion and perfusion determined in the emergency department (ED). Methods and results: Overall, 11 261 unselected AHF patients from 41 Spanish EDs were classified according to perfusion (normoperfusion = warm; hypoperfusion = cold) and congestion (not = dry; yes = wet). Baseline and decompensation characteristics were recorded as were the main wards to which patients were admitted. The primary outcome was 1-year all-cause mortality; secondary outcomes were need for hospitalisation during the index AHF event, in-hospital all-cause mortality, prolonged hospitalisation, 7-day post-discharge ED revisit for AHF and 30-day post-discharge rehospitalisation for AHF. A total of 8558 patients (76.0%) were warm + wet, 1929 (17.1%) cold + wet, 675 (6.0%) warm + dry, and 99 (0.9%) cold + dry; hypoperfused (cold) patients were more frequently admitted to intensive care units and geriatrics departments, and warm + wet patients were discharged home without admission. The four phenotypes differed in most of the baseline and decompensation characteristics. The 1-year mortality was 30.8%, and compared to warm + dry, the adjusted hazard ratios were significantly increased for cold + wet (1.660; 95% confidence interval 1.400-1.968) and cold + dry (1.672; 95% confidence interval 1.189-2.351). Hypoperfused (cold) phenotypes also showed higher rates of index episode hospitalisation and in-hospital mortality, while congestive (wet) phenotypes had a higher risk of prolonged hospitalisation but decreased risk of rehospitalisation. No differences were observed among phenotypes in ED revisit risk. Conclusions: Bedside clinical evaluation of congestion and perfusion of AHF patients upon ED arrival and classification according to phenotypic profiles proposed by the latest European Society of Cardiology guidelines provide useful complementary information and help to rapidly predict patient outcomes shortly after ED patient arrival. Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social y FEDER (PI15 / 01019, PI15 / 00773, PI18 / 00393, PI18 / 00456). Fundació La Marató de TV3 ( 2015/2510). Gobierno de Cataluña para Grupos Consolidados de Investigación (GRC 2009 / 1385,2014 / 0313, y 2017/1424). 11.627 JCR (2019) Q1, 9/138 Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems 5.556 SJR (2019) Q1, 5/364 Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine No data IDR 2019 UEM

Study objective: We assess the value of the Barthel Index (BI) in predicting 30-day mortality risk among patients with acute heart failure who are attending the emergency department (ED). Methods: We selected 9,098 acute heart failure patients from the Acute Heart Failure in Emergency Departments registry who had BI score available both at baseline and the ED visit. Patients' data were collected from 41 Spanish hospitals during four 1- to 2-month periods between 2009 and 2016. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were used to assess the association between 30-day mortality and BI score. c Statistics were used to estimate their prognostic value. Results: The mean baseline BI score was 79.4 (SD 24.6) and the mean ED BI score was 65.3 (SD 29.1). Acute functional decline (≥5-point decrease between baseline BI and ED BI score) was observed in 5,771 patients (53.4%). Within 30 days of the ED visit, 905 patients (9.9%) died. There was a steep inverse gradient in 30-day mortality risk for baseline BI and ED BI score. For instance, compared with BI score=100, a BI score of 50 to 55 doubled the mortality risk both at baseline and the ED visit. At the ED visit, a BI score of 0 to 5 carried a 5-fold increase in risk after adjustment for other risk predictors. In comparison with baseline BI score, ED BI score consistently provided greater discrimination. Neither baseline BI score nor the change in BI score from baseline to the ED visit added further prognostic value to the ED BI score. Conclusion: Functional status assessed by the BI score at the ED visit is a strong predictor of 30-day mortality in acute heart failure patients, with higher predictive value than baseline BI score and acute functional decline. Routine recording of BI score at the ED visit may help in decisionmaking and health care planning. Sin financiación 5.799 JCR (2019) Q1, 1/31 Emergency Medicine 1.389 SJR (2019) Q1, 3/90 Emergency Medicine No data IDR 2019 UEM

Objectives: We investigated the natural history of patients after a first episode of acute heart failure (FEAHF) requiring emergency department (ED) consultation, focusing on: the frequency of ED visits and hospitalisations, departments admitting patients during the first and subsequent hospitalisations, and factors associated with difficult disease control. Methods and results: We included consecutive patients diagnosed with FEAHF (either with or without previous heart failure diagnosis) in four EDs during 5 months in three different time periods (2009, 2011, 2014). Diagnosis was adjudicated by local principal investigators. The clinical characteristics of the index event were prospectively recorded, and all post-discharge ED visits and hospitalisations [related/unrelated to acute heart failure (AHF)], as well as departments involved in subsequent hospitalisations were retrospectively ascertained. 'Uncontrolled disease' during the first year after FEAHF was considered if patients were attended at ED (≥ 3 times) or hospitalised (≥ 2 times) for AHF or died. Overall, 505 patients with FEAHF were included and followed for a mean of 2.4 years. In-hospital mortality was 7.5%. Among 467 patients discharged alive, 288 died [median survival 3.9 years, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.5-4.4], 421 (90%) revisited the ED (2342 ED visits; 42.4% requiring hospitalisation, 34.0% AHF-related) and 357 (77%) were hospitalised (1054 hospitalisations; 94.1% through ED, 51.4% AHF-related). AHF-related hospitalisations were mainly in internal medicine (28.0%), short-stay unit (26.3%), cardiology (20.8%), and geriatrics (14.1%). Only 47.4% of AHF-related hospitalisations were in the same department as the FEAHF, and internal medicine involvement significantly increased with subsequent hospitalisations (P = 0.01). Uncontrolled disease was observed in 31% of patients, which was independently related to age > 80 years [odds ratio (OR) 1.80, 95% CI 1.17-2.77], systolic blood pressure < 110 mmHg at ED arrival (OR 2.61, 95% CI 1.26-5.38) and anaemia (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.51-3.78). Conclusion: In the present aged cohort of AHF patients from Barcelona, Spain, the natural history after FEAHF showed different patterns of hospital department involvement. Advanced age, low systolic blood pressure and anaemia were factors related to uncontrolled disease during the year after debut.

Introduction and objectives: The MEESSI scale stratifies acute heart failure (AHF) patients at the emergency department (ED) according to the 30-day mortality risk. We validated the MEESSI risk score in a new cohort of Spanish patients to assess its accuracy in stratifying patients by risk and to compare its performance in different settings. Methods: We included consecutive patients diagnosed with AHF in 30 EDs during January and February 2016. The MEESSI score was calculated for each patient. The c-statistic measured the discriminatory capacity to predict 30-day mortality of the full MEESSI model and secondary models. Further comparisons were made among subgroups of patients from university and community hospitals, EDs with high-, medium- or low-activity and EDs that recruited or not patients in the original MEESSI derivation cohort. Results: We analyzed 4711 patients (university/community hospitals: 3811/900; high-/medium-/low activity EDs: 2695/1479/537; EDs participating/not participating in the previous MEESSI derivation study: 3892/819). The distribution of patients according to the MEESSI risk categories was: 1673 (35.5%) low risk, 2023 (42.9%) intermediate risk, 530 (11.3%) high risk and 485 (10.3%) very high risk, with 30 day mortality of 2.0%, 7.8%, 17.9%, and 41.4%, respectively. The c-statistic for the full model was 0.810 (95%Cl, 0.790-0.830), ranging from 0.731 to 0.785 for the subsequent secondary models. The discriminatory capacity of the MEESSI risk score was similar among subgroups of hospital type, ED activity, and original recruiter EDs. Conclusions: The MEESSI risk score successfully stratifies AHF patients at the ED according to the 30-day mortality risk, potentially helping clinicians in the decision-making process for hospitalizing patients. Full English text available from: www.revespcardiol.org/en (C) 2018 Sociedad Espanola de Cardiologla. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Background and objectives: To describe the clinical characteristics and prognosis (hospital mortality at 30 days and 12 months and emergency department readmission at 30 days for acute heart failure) of patients treated in hospital emergency departments for new-onset or de novo acute heart failure (NOAHF) and to compare the patients with those who consult for chronic decompensated heart failure (CDHF). Patients: NOVICA is a secondary analysis of the Epidemiology of Acute Heart Failure in Emergency Departments registry. We compared demographic variables, baseline characteristics and data from acute episodes and follow-up at 30 days and 12 months of patients with NOAHF and CDHF. Results: We analysed 8647 patients, with 3288 cases of NOAHF (38%) and 5359 cases of CDHF (62%). NOAHF was associated with lower comorbidity, better baseline state, less severe acute episode data, less use of diuretics in intravenous infusion and oxygen therapy and lower hospitalization rates. The patients with NOAHF were admitted more often to cardiology and intensive care units, and the patients with CDHF were admitted more often to short-stay units. Rates of crude mortality at 30 days and 12 months and readmission at 30 days were higher for the patients with NOAHF. In the adjusted analysis, however, only the rate of readmission at 30 days was lower for NOAHF (p

Background: The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and prognostic value of the most common triggering factors in acute heart failure. Methods: Patients with acute heart failure from 41 Spanish emergency departments were recruited consecutively in three time periods between 2011 and 2016. Precipitating factors were classified as: (a) unrecognized; (b) infection; (c) atrial fibrillation; (d) anaemia; (e) hypertension; (f) acute coronary syndrome; (g) non-adherence; and (h) two or more precipitant factors. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were used to assess the association between 30-day mortality and each precipitant factor. The risk of dying was further evaluated by week intervals over the 30-day follow-up to assess the period of higher vulnerability for each precipitant factor. Results: Approximately 69% of our 9999 patients presented with a triggering factor and 1002 died within the first 30 days (10.0%). The most prevalent factors were infection and atrial fibrillation. After adjusting for 11 known predictors, acute coronary syndrome was associated with higher 30-day mortality (odds ratio (OR) 1.87; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–3.42), whereas atrial fibrillation (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.56–0.94) and hypertension (OR 0.34; 95% CI 0.21–0.55) were significantly associated with better outcomes when compared to patients without precipitant. Patients with infection, anaemia and non-compliance were not at higher risk of dying within 30 days. These findings were consistent across gender and age groups. The 30-day mortality time pattern varied between and within precipitant factors. Conclusions: Precipitant factors in acute heart failure patients are prevalent and have a prognostic value regardless of the patient’s gender and age. They can be managed with specific treatments and can sometimes be prevented.

Background. - The absence of cardiac troponin (cTn) determination in an episode of acute heart failure (AHF) is frequent. The characteristics of these patients are not well known; nor is it known whether they have a better prognosis than patients in whom cTn is determined. Aim. - The objective of the EAHFE-TROPICA3 study was to analyse the characteristics of patients consulting for AHF in whom cTn was not determined (nocTn), and to evaluate the relationship of cTn determination (wcTn) with patient outcomes. Methods. - This was an analysis of the multipurpose prospective EAHFE registry of patients with AHF consulting at the emergency departments of 34 Spanish hospitals. Results. - Data from 8850 patients with AHF were analysed; cTn was not determined in 4216 of these patients (47.6%), who had a lower prevalence of ischaemic heart disease, more frequent use of loop diuretics at baseline, a greater rate of oedema in the acute episode, more frequent history of heart failure, and less use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or aldosterone receptor antagonists and beta-blockers at baseline. Compared with the wcTn group, the nocTn group had the same in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.98-1.50), mortality at 30 days (adjusted OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.90-1.28) and reconsultation at 30 days (adjusted OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.80-1.02). Conclusions. - Patients presenting with AHF with and without cTn determination have different characteristics. These differences are not related to a better prognosis. (C) 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Introduction: Inflammation is a fundamental phenomenon in heart failure, but the prognostic or therapeutic role of markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) has not yet been clarified. The objective of this study is to describe the clinical profile of patients with elevated IL-6 and determine if they have worse clinical outcomes. Methods: A retrospective c.ohort observational study including 78 patients with heart failure followed up at the Heart Failure Outpatient Clinic of the Internal Medicine Department. IL-6 was determined in all patients, who were then assigned into two groups according to IL-6 level (normal or high). Clinical and prognostic data were collected to determine the differences in both groups. Results: The average age was 79 years, 60% female. A total of 53.8% of the patients had elevated IL-6 (group 2). Patients with elevated IL-6 presented more frequently with anemia mellitus (64.3% vs. 41.7%, p = 0.046), atrial fibrillation (83.3% vs. 61.9% p = 0.036), dyslipidemia (76.2% vs. 58.2%, p = 0.03), higher creatinine levels (1.35 mg/dL vs. 1.08 mg/dL, p = 0.024), lower glomerular filtration rate (43.6 mL/min/m2 vs. 59.9 mL/min/m2, p = 0.007), and anemia 25% vs. 52.4% p = 0.014. The factors independently associated with the increase in IL-6 were anemia 3.513 (1.163–10.607) and renal failure 0.963 (0.936–0.991), p &lt, 0.05. Mortality was higher in the group with elevated IL-6 levels (16% vs. 2%, p = 0.044) with a log-rank p = 0.027 in the Kaplan–Meier curve. Conclusion: Patients with heart failure and elevated IL-6 most often have atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, anemia, and renal failure. In addition, mortality was higher and a tendency of higher hospital admission was observed in stable HF patients with elevated IL-6.

Fundamento: Investigar el comportamiento de varios indicadores de producción y repercusión científicos en un grupo de investigadores clínicos españoles y valorar su utilidad para interpretar trayectorias individuales o colectivas. Material y método: Estudio piloto ecológico unicéntrico en un grupo de médicos con trayectoria investigadora consolidada. A través de Science Citation Index Expanded se obtuvo el número de trabajos publicados por cada autor (indicador de producción) y el número de citas, el factor de impacto y el índice h (indicadores de repercusión). Los indicadores se calcularon para cada año de la trayectoria investigadora. Se relacionó la experiencia del investigador y el valor del indicador alcanzado, la relación entre indicadores y la evolución temporal, tanto individual como colectivamente. Resultados: Se analizaron 35 investigadores, con experiencia de 28,4 (9,6) años. El índice h fue el indicador con coeficiente de variación más bajo. La relación entre indicadores y experiencia investigadora es significativa pero discreta (R² entre 0,15-0,22). Los cuatro indicadores mostraron buenas correlaciones entre ellos. La evolución temporal de los indicadores, tanto individual como colectiva, se ajustó mejor a una función polinómica de segundo grado que a una lineal: individualmente, todos los autores obtuvieron R²>0,90 en todos los indicadores; el mejor ajuste se produjo con el índice h (R²=0,61). En función del indicador utilizado, pueden producirse variaciones sustanciales en la ordenación de los investigadores. Conclusiones: Es posible describir, en una muestra relativamente homogénea de investigadores, un modelo de evolución temporal de los indicadores de producción y repercusión, y el índice h parece mostrar ciertas ventajas respecto al resto. Este análisis podría convertirse en una herramienta predictiva del rendimiento a alcanzar por investigadores individuales y para grupos homogéneos de investigadores correspondientes a un mismo nicho científico. Background: To study the behaviour of several indicators of scientific production and repercussion in a group of Spanish clinical researchers and to evaluate their possible utility for interpreting individual or collective scientific pathways. Method: We performed a unicentric, ecological pilot study involving a group of physicians with consolidated research experience. From the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-Expanded) database, we obtained the number of publications of each author (indicator of production) and the number of citations, impact factor and h index (indicators of repercussion). These indicators were calculated individually for each of the years of research experience and we assessed the relationship between the experience of the researcher and the value of the indicator achieved, the relationship between these indicators themselves, and their temporal evolution, both individually and for the entire group. Results: We analysed 35 researchers with a research experience of 28.4 (9.6) years. The h index showed the lowest coefficient of variance. The relationship between the indicators and research experience was significant, albeit modest (R² between 0.15-0.22). The 4 indicators showed good correlations. The temporal evolution of the indicators, both individual and collective, adjusted better to a second grade polynomial than a linear function: individually, all the authors obtained R²>0.90 in all the indicators; together the best adjustment was produced with the h index (R²=0.61). Based on the indicator used, substantial variations may be produced in the researchers' ranking. Conclusions: A model of the temporal evolution of the indicators of production and repercussion can be described in a relatively homogeneous sample of researchers and the h index seems to demonstrate certain advantages compared to the remaining indicators. This type of analysis could become a predictive tool of performance to be achieved not only for a particular researcher, but also for a homogeneous group of researchers corresponding to a specific scientific niche.

Objective To explore bibliometric markers in a worldwide sample of emergency physician investigators to define global, continental and individual patterns over time. Methods We evaluated the number of papers published, citations received, cumulative impact factor and h-index of editorial board members of six international emergency medicine journals. We calculated the individual values for every year of each author9s career to evaluate their dynamic evolution. We analysed the results by researcher world area and growth rate. Results We included 107 researchers (76 American, 21 European and 10 Australasian; 46 slow-rate -group C-, 43 medium-rate -group B- and 18 fast-rate growth -group A-). The median experience was 18 (IQR: 12) years, without subgroups differences. Dynamic analysis over time showed good fit with quadratic function in all individual researchers and for all bibliometric markers (R 2 : 0.505–0.997), with the h-index achieving the best R 2 . The combined analysis of the h-index of the 107 investigators also fit the quadratic model (R 2 =0.49). Analysis by predefined continental and growth-rate subgroups allowed defining specific patterns (R 2 between 0.46–0.54 and 0.80–0.86, respectively): by continents, American researchers9 h-index increased 0.632 points per year, European 0.417 and Australasian 0.341; by growth rate, researchers from group A, B and C increased 1.239, 0.683 and 0.320, respectively. Conclusions Dynamic analysis of every individual author indicator over time has a very good fit with a quadratic model, with the h-index achieving the best R 2 . It is also possible to construct models based on continent and rate of growth that could help to predict future expected outcomes of researchers in a particular subgroup and to classify new emerging researchers by growth rate.

Introduction and objectives Prognostic scales are needed in acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure to detect early mortality. The objective of this study is to create a prognostic scale (scale EAHFE-3D) to stratify the risk of death the very short term. Patients and method We used the EAHFE database, a multipurpose, multicenter registry with prospective follow-up currently including 6597 patients with acute heart failure attended at 34 Spanish Emergency Departments from 2007 to 2014. The following variables were collected: demographic, personal history, data of acute episode and 3-day mortality. The derivation cohort included patients recruited during 2009 and 2011 EAHFE registry spots (n = 3640). The classifying variable was all-cause 3-day mortality. A prognostic scale (3D-EAHFE scale) with the results of the multivariate analysis based on the weight of the OR was created. The 3D-EAHFE scale was validated using the cohort of patients included in 2014 spot (n = 2957). Results A total of 3640 patients were used in the derivation cohort and 102 (2.8%) died at 3 days. The final scale contained the following variables (maximum 165 points): age ≥ 75 years (30 points), baseline NYHA III-IV (15 points), systolic blood pressure p p 80 points), with a mortality (derivation/validation cohorts) of 0/0.5, 0.8/1.0, 2.9/2.8, 5.5/5.8 and 12.7/22.4%, respectively. Conclusions EAHFE-3D scale may help to predict the very short term prognosis of patients with acute heart failure in 5 risk groups.

To evaluate the effects of discontinuing chronic beta-blocker (BB) treatment on short-term outcome in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) during acute decompensation.We selected all the patients previously diagnosed with CHF and currently on BB and attended for acute heart failure (AHF) in one of the 35 Spanish emergency departments participating in the EAHFE registry. Patients were classified according to BB maintenance or withdrawal (BBM or BBW, respectively) during the episode. In-hospital mortality was the primary endpoint; and 30-day mortality, 30-day combined endpoint, and prolonged hospitalization were secondary. We used logistic regression for adjustment of results according to the differences between the BBM and BBW groups, and stratified analysis by age, sex, left ventricular ejection fraction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart rate (HR), and BB type (carvedilol/bisoprolol) was performed.Among 2058 patients receiving chronic BB treatment, 1990 were analyzed: BBM 530 (27 %), BBW 1460 (73 %). Compared to BBM, BBW had a higher in-hospital mortality (5.5 vs 3.0 %; p 0.05), 30-day mortality (8.7 vs 4.5 %; p 0.01), and 30-day combined endpoint (29.8 vs 23.4 %; p 0.05). Multivariate adjustment confirmed an independent direct association between BBW and in-hospital mortality (OR 1.89; 95 % CI 1.09-3.26) and 30-day mortality (OR 2.01; 95 % CI 1.28-3.15). Stratified analysis indicated no interaction by all the subgroups analyzed, except for HR (p = 0.01 for interaction), which showed a greater negative impact of BBW in patients with HR80 bpm (OR 2.74; 95 % CI 1.13-6.63).In the absence of clear contraindications, BB treatment should be maintained during AHF episodes in patients already receiving BB at home.

Resumen Objetivos Determinar el perfil clinico de los pacientes centenarios y desarrollar un modelo predictivo de muerte a los 90 dias tras ser atendidos en un servicio de urgencias hospitalario (SUH). Metodologia Estudio observacional de cohortes retrospectivo multicentrico que incluyo a pacientes > 99 anos atendidos en 5 SUH de la Comunidad de Madrid, de enero a diciembre de 2012. Se recogieron variables demograficas, comorbilidad, situacion basal cognitiva, funcional y social, sindromes geriatricos, datos del episodio agudo y del consumo de recursos hospitalarios y sociales, y la mortalidad global a los 90 dias. Resultados Se incluyeron 209 pacientes con una edad media de 101 anos (DE 1,7), 161 (77,0%) de los cuales fueron mujeres. Sesenta y cuatro (32,5%) tenian comorbilidad grave (indice de Charlson ≥ 3); 101 (49,8%) ≥ 5 farmacos; 100 (52,6%) deterioro cognitivo; 82 (42,3%) dependencia grave; 85 (40,7%) estaban institucionalizados y 190 (94,5%) presentaron algun sindrome geriatrico. Los motivos de consulta mas frecuentes fueron la disnea (26,8%) seguido de las caidas (12,4%). Ciento dieciocho (56,5%) ingresaron y 58 de 174 (33,3%) fallecieron a los 90 dias. El modelo predictivo de mortalidad global a 90 dias incluyo: sexo hombre (OR 2,42 IC 95% = 0,97-6,04; p = 0,059), visita a urgencias en 3 meses previos (OR 4,08 IC 95% = 1,26-13,16; p = 0,019) y la toma de decision de ingreso (OR 8,63 IC 95% = 3,25-22,9; p Conclusiones Los pacientes centenarios atendidos en los SUH presentan una importante fragilidad, falleciendo 1 de cada 3 a los 90 dias, lo cual esta asociado con el sexo, la atencion en urgencias en los 3 meses previos y la hospitalizacion.

The purpose of this consensus document was to reach an agreement among experts on the multidisciplinary care of patients with acute heart failure. Starting with a narrative review of the care provided to these patients and a critical analysis of the healthcare procedures, we identified potential shortcomings and improvements and formalised a document on recommendations for optimising the clinical and therapeutic approach for acute heart failure. This document was validated through an in-person group session guided using participatory techniques. The process resulted in a set of 36 recommendations formulated by experts of the Spanish Society of Cardiology, the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine and the Spanish Society of Urgent and Emergency Care. The recommendations are designed to optimise the healthcare challenge presented by the care of patients with acute heart failure in the context of Spain's current National Health System.

Resumen Objetivo Conocer la percepcion de los pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca (IC) sobre su enfermedad, tratamiento y soporte, asi como los especialistas que intervienen tras una descompensacion, y si existe relacion entre el tipo de especialista involucrado en el seguimiento y el pronostico a medio plazo. Metodo Estudio de cohortes multicentrico, prospectivo, con inclusion consecutiva en urgencias de pacientes con IC aguda. Se entrevistaron telefonicamente los pacientes a los 91-180 dias tras la consulta en urgencias. Se investigo la relacion entre el tipo de especialista que hacia el seguimiento y las visitas a urgencias u hospitalizaciones mediante modelos de regresion de Cox con ajuste progresivo por grupos de potenciales confusores de la relacion de interes. Resultados Se entrevistaron 785 pacientes: un 33% (IC 95%: 30-36%) consideraron su enfermedad leve, un 64% (60-67%) necesitaban ayuda de terceras personas para sus actividades diarias, un 65% (61-68%) no habian percibido cambios terapeuticos recientemente y un 69% (67-72%) perciben el mismo tratamiento en las agudizaciones. El soporte percibido vario significativamente dependiendo del factor considerado (de mayor a menor: familia, hospital, urgencias, centro de salud, religion y asociaciones de pacientes; p Conclusion Existen diversos aspectos de percepcion del paciente con IC respecto a su enfermedad susceptibles de futuras intervenciones. El seguimiento del paciente involucra a diferentes especialidades, pero todas consiguen resultados similares a medio plazo.

Objective: To understand the perceptions of patients with heart failure (HF) concerning their disease, treatment and support, as well as the specialists who provide care after a decompensation, and to determine whether there is a relationship between the type of specialist involved in the follow-up and the medium-term prognosis. Methods: A multicentre, prospective cohort study consecutively included patients with acute HF in the emergency department. The patients were interviewed by telephone 91-180 days after their emergency department visit. We investigated the relationship between the type of specialist who performed the follow-up and the emergency department visits or hospitalisations using Cox regression models, with progressive adjustment by groups of potential confounders of these relationships. Results: We interviewed 785 patients. Thirty-three percent (95% CI: 30%-36%) considered their disease mild, 64% (60%-67%) required help from third parties for daily activities, 65% (61%-68%) had no recent therapeutic changes, and 69% (67%-72%) received the same treatment in the exacerbations. The perceived support varied significantly depending on the factor under consideration (from greater to lesser: family, hospital, emergency department, health centre, religion and patient associations; p

Objective To determine whether an earlier medical (MA) or surgical (SA) admission in the previous three months is a factor associated with mortality at 30 days in outpatients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism. Method Observational, retrospective cohort study on adult patients diagnosed with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism in a tertiary hospital over a period of 6 years. Results The study included 870 patients with a mean age of 72.7 years: 10.6% (92) had a prior MA, 4.9% (43) had a SA and 12.9% (112) died within the first 30 days. The MA group showed a higher frequency of simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) of high risk (≥ 1) (MA 90.2% vs SA 65.1% vs no prior admission 67.0%; p Conclusions The severity of the acute episode, as assessed by the simplified PESI scale, is independently associated with mortality at 30 days in outpatients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism. An earlier MA in the previous 3 months usually involves greater severity in the acute episode.

Heart failure is a global public health challenge frequently presenting to the emergency department. After initial stabilization and management, one of the most important decisions is to determine which patients can be safely discharged and which require hospitalization. This is a complex decision that depends on numerous subjective factors, including both the severity of the patient's underlying condition and an estimate of the acuity of the presentation. An emergency department observation period may help select the correct option. Ideally, during an observation period, risk stratification should be carried out using parameters specifically designed for use in the emergency department. Unfortunately, there is little objective literature to guide this disposition decision. An objective and reliable definition of low-risk characteristics to identify early discharge candidates is needed. Benchmarking outcomes in patients discharged from the emergency department without hospitalization could aid this process. Biomarker determinations, although undoubtedly useful in establishing diagnosis and predicting longer-term prognosis, require prospective validation for emergency department disposition guidance. The challenge of identifying emergency department acute heart failure discharge candidates will only be overcome by future multidisciplinary research defining the current knowledge gaps and identifying potential solutions.

Suppression pools are an essential passive system for source term attenuation in boiling water reactors during severe accidents, particularly during Station BlackOut (SBO) sequences, as it happened in Fukushima. This paper investigates how uncertain predictions of suppression pools decontamination can be. Based on MELCOR 2.1 calculations of Fukushima Unit 1, a stand-alone version of SPARC-90 (Suppression Pool Aerosol Removal Code) has been used in combination with DAKOTA-6.4, to propagate the uncertainties in the input deck variables affecting the Decontamination Factor (DF). The results indicate that DF uncertainties may spread around two orders of magnitude and the uncertainty margin stays roughly constant over time. In addition, a sensitivity analysis based on the Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients has been carried out and pointed that uncertainties associated to particle inertia (i.e., particle density and size) and in-pool phase change (i.e., non-condensible gas fraction in the carrier gas) dominate the uncertainties found in the DF for this specific scenario.

Study objective The Multiple Estimation of Risk Based on the Emergency Department Spanish Score in Patients With Acute Heart Failure (MEESSI-AHF) is a validated clinical decision tool that characterizes risk of mortality in emergency department (ED) acute heart failure patients. The objective of this study is to compare the distribution of risk categories between hospitalized and discharged ED patients with acute heart failure. Methods We included consecutive acute heart failure patients from 34 Spanish EDs. Patients were retrospectively classified according to MEESSI-AHF risk categories. We calculated the odds of hospitalization (versus direct discharge from the ED) across MEESSI-AHF risk categories. Next, we assessed the following 30-day postdischarge outcomes: ED revisit, hospitalization, death, and their combination. We used Cox hazards models to determine the adjusted association between ED disposition decision and the outcomes among patients who were stratified into low- and increased-risk categories. Results We included 7,930 patients (80.5 years [SD 10.1 years]; women 54.7%; hospitalized 75.3%). Compared with that for low-risk MEESSI-AHF patients, odds ratios for hospitalization of patients in intermediate-, high-, and very-high-risk categories were 1.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.64 to 2.05), 3.05 (95% CI 2.48 to 3.76), and 3.98 (95% CI 3.13 to 5.05), respectively. However, almost half (47.6%) of all discharged patients were categorized as being at increased risk by MEESSI-AHF, and 19.0% of all the increased-risk patients were discharged from the ED. Among the low-risk MEESSI-AHF patients, the 30-day postdischarge mortality did not differ by ED disposition (hazard ratio [HR] for discharged patients with respect to hospitalized ones 0.65; 95% CI 0.70 to 1.11), nor did it differ in the increased-risk group (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.63 to 1.23). The discharged low-risk MEESSI-AHF patients had higher risks of 30-day ED revisit and hospitalization (HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.57 to 2.20; and HR 1.92, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.40, respectively) compared with the admitted patients, as did the discharged patients in the increased-risk group (HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.89; and HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.68, respectively), with similar results for the combined endpoint. Conclusion The disposition decisions made in current clinical practice for ED acute heart failure patients calibrate with MEESSI-AHF risk categories, but nearly half of the patients currently discharged from the ED fall into increased-risk MEESSI-AHF categories.

To profile patients aged 65 years or older who are attended in a hospital emergency department after falls. To describe the falls, their severity, and factors relevant to recommended preventive measures.The FALL-ER is a multipurpose, multicenter prospective registry of a systematically described cohort of patients aged 65 years or older attended in 5 hospital emergency departments on 52 days of the same year. We collected data on 68 independent variables. Patients were classified according to whether they had received recommendations related to preventing falls in any of the following categories: exercise, education on fall prevention, referral to a specialist or changes in medication.. A total of 1507 patients or carers were interviewed (93.6% of the 1610 patients in the registry). The cohort was of advanced age and had high rates of comorbidity, polypharmacy, and history of geriatric syndromes. The majority of falls occurred during the day and in the patients home. Half the falls were not witnessed. Forty-eight percent of the patients reported fear of falling, 22% had acute functional impairment, 16% were admitted, and 0.6% died in the hospital. Recommendations directed to preventing falls were received by 509 (33.8%) cases. Loss of hearing acuity, self-reported cognitive impairment, emergency first aid at the site of the fall, fear of falling again, acute functional impairment, and hospitalization were associated with a greater likelihood of receiving recommendations for preventing falls. Loss of visual acuity was associated with a lower likelihood of receiving recommendations.Only a third of elderly patients attended in an emergency department after falls receive recommendations that target preventing further falls. Certain patient and fall characteristics are associated with a greater likelihood of receiving such recommendations.Estudiar el perfil de los pacientes de 65 años o más atendidos por una caída en los servicios de urgencias (SU), las características de las caídas, y el grado y los factores asociados con la realización de recomendaciones para prevenir las caídas (RPC).FALL-ER es un registro de cohortes multipropósito, prospectivo y multicéntrico, con muestreo sistemático, que incluyó todos los pacientes de 65 años o más atendidos por caída en 5 SU durante 52 días en un año. Se recogieron 68 variables independientes. Los pacientes se clasificaron en función de recibir o no RPC (cualquiera de las siguientes: ejercicio, educación sobre prevención de las caídas, derivación a especialista o modificación de fármacos relacionados con las caídas).Se analizaron 1.507 (93,6%) del total de 1.610 pacientes. Los pacientes tenían una edad muy avanzada y alto grado de comorbilidad, polifarmacia y síndromes geriátricos previos. La caída suele suceder de día, en domicilio y en la mitad de casos sin testigo. Un 48% refirió miedo a caerse, un 22% presentó deterioro funcional agudo, un 16% ingresó y un 0,6% falleció. Se realizaron RPC en 509 (33,8%) casos. La disminución de la agudeza auditiva, deterioro cognitivo autorreferido, atención médica en el lugar de la caída, miedo a volver a caerse, deterioro funcional agudo y hospitalización se asociaron con mayor probabilidad de RPC, y la disminución de la agudeza visual con menor probabilidad.Solo tres de cada diez pacientes ancianos atendidos por una caída en urgencias recibe RPC posteriores, aunque existen ciertas características relacionadas con el paciente y la caída que se asocian a una mayor probabilidad de recibirlas.

To build a model to predict 30-day mortality and compare it to prediction based on the Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) score in patients aged 75 years or older treated for infection and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in the emergency department.Prospective analysis of a convenience cohort of patients aged 75 years or older treated for infection and SIRS in 13 Spanish emergency departments in 2013. We recorded demographic variables; comorbidity; risk factors for poor outcome; functional dependence at baseline; site of infection; and hemodynamic, clinical and laboratory findings on start of care.The main outcome variable was 30-day all-cause mortality.Three hundred seventy-nine patients with a mean (SD) age of 84 (5.8) years were included; 186 (49.,1%) were women, 150 (39.6%) had a high degree of comorbidity, and 113 (34.2%) had a high level of functional dependence. Seventy-nine (20.8%) died within 30 days. The model built by the infection working group (INFURG) of the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES) included the presence of metastasis from a solid tumor (odds ratio [OR], 5.4; 95% CI, 1.6-18.2; P=.006), respiratory insufficiency (OR, 3.02; 95% CI, 1.5-6.0; P=.002), renal insufficiency (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.0-5.5; P=.045), arterial hypertension (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.2-5.0; P=.015), and altered level of consciousness (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.4-5.8; P=.003). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the INFURG-OLDER model was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.72-0.84; P.001) (vs 0.72 (95% CI, 0.64-0.80; P.001 for the MEDS model).The INFURG-OLDER model has good predictive ability for 30-day mortality in patients aged 75 years or older who are treated in emergency departments for SIRS.. Diseñar un modelo de riesgo para predecir la mortalidad a los 30 días, y compararlo con la escala MEDS (Mortality in Emergency Department), en pacientes 75 años atendidos por infección con síndrome de respuesta inflamatoria sistémica (SIRS) en los servicios de urgencias (SU).Estudio analítico de cohortes prospectivo que incluyó por oportunidad a pacientes 75 años atendidos por infección con SIRS en 13 SU españoles durante el año 2013. Se recogieron variables demográficas, comorbilidad, factores de riesgo de mala evolución, situación funcional basal, modelo de infección, y parámetros hemodinámicos, clínicos y analíticos en el momento de la primera atención. La variable de resultado principal fue mortalidad por cualquier causa a los 30 días.Se incluyeron 379 pacientes con edad media de 84 (DE 5,8) años, 186 (49,1%) fueron mujeres, 150 (39,6%) tenían alto grado de comorbilidad y 113 (34,2%) dependencia funcional grave. Setenta y nueve pacientes (20,8%) fallecieron a los 30 días. El modelo INFURG-OLDER incluyó la presencia de tumor sólido con metástasis (OR = 5,4; IC95% 1,6- 18,2; p = 0,006), la insuficiencia respiratoria (OR = 3,02; IC95% 1,5-6,0; p = 0,002), la insuficiencia renal (OR = 2,4; IC95% 1,0-5,5; p = 0,045), la hipotensión arterial (OR = 2,4; IC95% 1,2-5,0; p = 0,015) y la disminución del nivel de consciencia (OR = 2,9; IC95% 1,4-5,8; p = 0,003). El área bajo la curva (ABC) del modelo INFURG-OLDER fue de 0,78 (IC95% 0,72- 0,84; p0,001) y el ABC de la escala MEDS fue de 0,72 (IC95% 0,64-0,80; p0,001).El modelo INFURG-OLDER tiene buena capacidad para predecir la mortalidad a los 30 días en los pacientes 75 años atendidos por infección con SIRS en los SU.

To determine short-term outcomes after an episode of acute heart failure in patients with mid-range ejection fraction (40%-49%; HFmrEF) compared with patients with reduced (40%) and preserved (49%) ejection fractions (HFrEF and HFpEF, respectively) and according to their final destination after emergency department (ED) care. This is an exploratory, secondary analysis of the Epidemiology of Acute Heart Failure in the Emergency departments Registry, which includes consecutive acute heart failure patients diagnosed in 41 Spanish EDs. Patients with echocardiography data were included and divided into HFrEF, HFmrEF, and HFpEF. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality, and secondary outcomes were in-hospital all-cause mortality, hospital length of stay10 days, and 30-day postdischarge ED revisit due to AHF and combined end point (ED revisit and/or death). We included 6,856 patients (age 79 [10]; 52.1% women): 21.6% had HFrEF, 14.3% HFmrEF, and 64.1% HFpEF. The main destinations for the 982 HFmrEF patients after ED management were internal medicine (293, 29.8%), cardiology (194, 19.9%) and not hospitalized (241, 24.5%), whereas the remaining 254 patients were admitted to other departments, including geriatric wards, short-stay units and intensive care units. Outcomes for HFmrEF did not differ compared with either HFrEF or HFpEF. Compared with HFmrEF admitted to cardiology, internal medicine admission or direct ED discharge increased the 30-day postdischarge ED revisit (hazard ratio [HR] 1.713, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.042 to 2.816; and HR 1.683, 95% CI 1.046 to 2.708, respectively) and the 30-day postdischarge combined end point (HR 1.732, 95% CI 1.070 to 2.803; and HR 1.727, 95% CI 1.083 to 2.756, respectively). In conclusion, patients in the newly created HFmrEF category suffering from an acute decompensation have similar short-term outcomes as those in the classical HFrEF and HFpEF categories; nonetheless, HFmrEF patients handled in cardiology wards during decompensation obtain better outcomes, and reasons for these differences have to be unmasked and corrected.