Clinical and epidemiological profile of heart failure in a hospital in the western of Bahia

Abstract

Objective: to describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of heart failure (HF) in a hospital located in the western region of Bahia, Brazil, between 2021 and 2022. Methods: this is a descriptive study conducted in a secondary care hospital in Barreiras, BA, based on the analysis of medical records of adult patients hospitalized with a confirmed diagnosis of HF. Age, sex, associated comorbidities, length of stay, and clinical stages were evaluated, Absolute and relative frequencies were calculated. Results: the prevalence of HF was 5.3% in 2021 and 7.6% in 2022. The mean age was 66 years, and 50.4% of patients were male. Hypertension was the most frequent comorbidity (57.5%), followed by chronic arterial disease (38%) and diabetes mellitus (12.4%). The mean length of hospital stay was 10 days. Regarding clinical outcomes, 14.2% of patients died and 14.2% were transferred to higher-complexity units. Conclusion: the frequency of HF increased between the years evaluated. The high prevalence of comorbidities and the elevated fatality rate reinforce the severity and complexity of HF, highlighting the need to improve clinical management and preventive strategies targeting associated risk factors, particularly in regions of greater vulnerability.