Perfil sociodemográfico e clínico de pacientes hospitalizados com insuficiência cardíaca

Abstract

Introduction: Heart Failure (HF) is a syndrome characterized by the heart's inability to pump blood effectively, resulting in low tissue perfusion or elevated filling pressures. Its pathophysiology involves the activation of neurohormonal systems that can exacerbate the condition, leading to complications such as hypertrophy and organ failure. In Brazil, HF is responsible for a significant number of hospitalizations and deaths annually, with primary causes including ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and cardiomyopathies. Diagnosis is based on clinical examination and echocardiogram. Treatment includes medications, non-pharmacological therapies, and, in severe cases, surgical interventions. HF impacts patients' quality of life, requiring multidisciplinary approaches for effective management. Objective: To analyze the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of hospitalized HF patients, comparing quality of life, muscle strength, Everest score, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between those classified in NYHA classes III and IV. Methods: This observational and descriptive study was conducted with patients diagnosed with Heart Failure (HF) hospitalized in a public hospital in Minas Gerais, between October 2023 and July 2024. The aim was to evaluate sociodemographic and clinical data and compare clinical variables between patients classified in NYHA classes III and IV. Tools such as the Minnesota Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Everest severity score, and the Medical Research Council muscle strength scale were used. The study was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the Faculdade de Talentos Humanos (FACTHUS), under Opinion No. 6.174.888 and CAAE No. 71199323.7.0000.9028. Results: Fifty-five patients, with a mean age of 70.6±10 years, diagnosed with HF, were evaluated. Of these, 32 were classified as NYHA III and 23 as NYHA IV. The majority of patients had a diagnosis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and were male. Key findings from this study showed that patients hospitalized for clinical decompensation of HF, classified as NYHA IV at admission, had longer hospital stays, reported poorer quality of life, had worse Everest scores, lower LVEF values, and required more ventilatory support compared to patients classified as NYHA III. Conclusions: The assessment of hospitalized patients with decompensated HF revealed that disease progression, as indicated by NYHA functional classification, is associated with worse clinical and functional prognosis, as well as a reduction in quality of life.