Among 902 acute-heart-failure patients in Srinagarind Hospital's emergency department, in-hospital mortality was 6.0%. After adjustment, the need for inotropic support was the only independently associated factor, with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.97.
Key findings
- Non-survivors had more comorbidity and severity markers, including lower diastolic pressure and oxygen saturation, ESI level 1, ICU admission, ventilation and inotropic support. Inotrope need was associated with mortality (adjusted OR 3.97; 95% CI 1.91-8.40).
Why this matters globally
The cohort offers a benchmark for resource-constrained emergency systems and may inform triage and ICU readiness for patients showing severe haemodynamic compromise.
Thai researcher contribution
Khon Kaen University investigators generated a sizeable real-world emergency cohort from Northeast Thailand, a setting underrepresented in published acute-heart-failure evidence.
Limitations to consider
The retrospective single-tertiary-centre design is vulnerable to missing data and limited generalisability. Inotrope use is subject to confounding by indication and does not establish causality.