Outcomes of patients with systolic heart failure presenting with sepsis to the emergency department of a tertiary hospital: a retrospective chart review study from Lebanon

Objectives Patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) may be at a higher risk of mortality from sepsis than patients without CHF due to insufficient cardiovascular reserves during systemic infections. The aim of this study is to compare sepsis-related mortality between CHF and no CHF in patients presenting to a tertiary medical centre. Design A single-centre, retrospective, cohort study. Setting Conducted in an academic emergency department (ED) between January 2010 and January 2015. Patients' charts were queried via the hospital's electronic system. Patients with a diagnosis of sepsis were included. Descriptive analysis was performed on the demographics, characteristics and outcomes of patients with sepsis of the study population. Participants A total of 174 patients, of which 87 (50%) were patients with CHF. Primary and secondary outcomes The primary outcome of the study was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital lengths of stay, and differences in interventions between the two groups. Results Patients with CHF had a higher in-hospital mortality (57.5% vs 34.5%). Patients with sepsis and CHF had higher odds of death compared with the control population (OR 2.45; 95%CI 1.22 to 4.88). Secondary analyses showed that patients with CHF had lower instances of bacteraemia on presentation to the ED (31.8% vs 46.4%). They had less intravenous fluid requirements in first 24 hours (2.752.28L vs 3.67 +/- 2.82L, p=0.038), had a higher rate of intubation in the ED (24.2% vs 10.6%, p=0.025) and required more dobutamine in the first 24 hours (16.1% vs 1.1%, p<0.001). ED length of stay was found to be lower in patients with CHF (15.12 +/- 24.45 hours vs 18.17 +/- 26.13 hours, p=0.418) and they were more likely to be admitted to the ICU (59.8% vs 48.8%, p=0.149). Conclusion Patients with sepsis and CHF experienced an increased hospital mortality compared with patients without CHF.