The prevalence, aetiology and treatment of congestive cardiac failure in Antigua and Barbuda.

A retrospective review of the cases of congestive heart failure admitted to Holberton Hospital in Antigua in 1995 and 1996 was undertaken. Two hundred and ninety-three (293) patients were identified by International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) coding as having congestive cardiac failure in the period but only 138 charts were either available or fitted the definition of congestive cardiac failure and these provided the basis for this analysis. The average age of patients admitted for congestive cardiac failure was 69 years (range: 5 months to 99 years), and 63% were female. the aetiology of congestive cardiac failure was hypertension (41%), ischaemia (33%), valvular (12%), alcohol related (2%), idiopathic (5%) and mixed (7%). Treatment included diuretics (95%), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (78%), digoxin (75%), nitrates (34%), calcium channel blockers (25%), other vasodilators (7%) and antiarrhythmics (5%). Of those with congestive heart failure, diabetes was present in 38%, atrial fibrillation in 19%, renal insufficiency in 17%, elevated cholesterol in 11%, obesity in 9% and tobacco use in 7%. The in-hospital mortality in the 2-year period was 17.4% (females 15%, males 22%, 11% < 65 years, 20% > 65 years, 14% for those with 1 to 3 admissions and 83% for those with > 3 admissions, 19% for those with atrial fibrillation and 16% for those without). The prevalence of congestive cardiac failure utilizing the data analysed in this study (138 patients) was 0.21% of the population of the island state but based on the discharge diagnosis using ICD-10 coding it was 0.5%; it was 1% in the 40 to 65-year-age group and 4% in those > 65 years of age. The patients in this study represented only those with New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes III and IV, hence the true prevalence would be higher than recorded here. Congestive cardiac failure is emerging as a significant health problem in Antigua and Barbuda.