The Lebanese Geitawi Hospital-University Medical Center Heart Failure Registry

Abstract

Heart Failure (HF) has become a major cause of death and hospitalization among people older than 60 year. Lack of available data and registries from different countries that may aid in understanding the burden of the disease does exist. The aim of the lebanese Geitawi Hospital-University Medical Center (LGH-UMC) heart failure registry is to point toward the incidence of heart failure, in patients with suspected dyspnea, during a 7 months period in a single university medical center based on Trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE) findings with emphasis on its etiology. Study population The LGH-HFR includes inpatients and outpatients (≥18 years) presenting for further evaluation of possible HF by performing a TTE after suspicious clinical findings. Patients with clinical impression of possible heart failure were reported to LGH-HFR by their doctors. The final decision to register a patient in the LGH-HFR is made by a single cardiologist to ensure the validity of the clinical suspicion. Approximately 1422 patients with clinically suspicion HF were registered in the LGH-HFR between 1.1.2018 and 31.7.2018. Main variables and descriptive data Our study will be a retrospective cohort analysis of data collected from the LGH-HFR between 1.1.2018 and 31.7.2018. Our number of studied patients is about 1422. The main variables recorded in the LGH-HFR are related to the TTE findings: LVEDV, LVEF, presence of LVH, the presence of diastolic dysfunction, documentation of any valvulopathies, measurements of PAPs. Furthermore, pro-BNP level and basic patient characteristics (age and sex) will be recorded. The findings then will be pooled according to the documentation of heart failure, either systolic or diastolic. Furthermore, specific TTE findings will be mentioned in each case after correlation with the HF type pointing toward the possible etiology of the cardiac function degradation. Results of our study will be reported back to clinicians to promote awareness for HF and communicated with the HFRs of different hospitals and LSC in order to optimize the standards of care regarding HF and discussing the cost effectiveness issue if possible. Conclusion The LGH-HFR is a valuable tool for continuous improvement of quality of care in patients and awareness regarding HF in Lebanon. Furthermore, it will be an important resource for the Lebanese registry-based HF research once available.