A Owen1, S Cox. 1. Department of Cardiology, Kent & Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury, CT1 3LP, Kent, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Heart failure is difficult to diagnose in a primary care setting with a reported false positive diagnosis in up to 70% of cases. AIMS: To use echocardiography in a large rural practice to evaluate the accuracy of diagnosis of heart failure in patients over 65 years of age. METHODS: Sixty patients with a previous diagnosis of heart failure were selected at random from the practice records and were invited to attend for an echocardiogram at the practice premises. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients attended, the age was 81+/-7 years, 29% had impaired left ventricular (LV) systolic function of whom 65% were in atrial fibrillation. A further 7% had isolated diastolic LV dysfunction. The prevalence of heart failure by clinical assessment was 29 per 1000 in this patient group and 9 per 1000 when echocardiography was used to confirm the diagnosis. CONCLUSION: True heart failure in this population is less prevalent than has been estimated from practice records.
BACKGROUND:Heart failure is difficult to diagnose in a primary care setting with a reported false positive diagnosis in up to 70% of cases. AIMS: To use echocardiography in a large rural practice to evaluate the accuracy of diagnosis of heart failure in patients over 65 years of age. METHODS: Sixty patients with a previous diagnosis of heart failure were selected at random from the practice records and were invited to attend for an echocardiogram at the practice premises. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients attended, the age was 81+/-7 years, 29% had impaired left ventricular (LV) systolic function of whom 65% were in atrial fibrillation. A further 7% had isolated diastolic LV dysfunction. The prevalence of heart failure by clinical assessment was 29 per 1000 in this patient group and 9 per 1000 when echocardiography was used to confirm the diagnosis. CONCLUSION: True heart failure in this population is less prevalent than has been estimated from practice records.
Authors: Muhammad Z Hossain; Carolyn A Chew-Graham; Emma Sowden; Tom Blakeman; Ian Wellwood; Stephanie Tierney; Christi Deaton Journal: Chronic Illn Date: 2021-01-05