Place of death among patients with terminal heart failure in a continuous inotropic infusion program.

Although most patients with terminal heart failure (HF) prefer to die at home, the majority die in hospitals. To determine the impact of home inotropic support in the place of death among patients with terminal HF, this retrospective study compared the place of death in patients with terminal HF enrolled in an inotropic infusion program to place of death in a national sample of patients with HF. The rate of home death among program participants (64.5%; n = 217) was significantly higher (P < .001) than an age- and sex-adjusted rate of home death in a national sample (35.9%; n = 56 596). Patients with HF participating in home inotropic support can remain at home during the final stage of life and are less likely to die in hospitals.