The Palliative Approach and Terminal Heart Failure Admissions – Are We Getting it Right?

V Sivanathan; N Smallwood; A Strathmore; D Johnson; B Le; D Zentner

Journal article

The Palliative Approach and Terminal Heart Failure Admissions – Are We Getting it Right?

V Sivanathan, N Smallwood, A Strathmore, D Johnson, B Le, D Zentner

Heart Lung and Circulation | Published : 2022

DOI: 10.1016/j.hlc.2022.01.002

Abstract

Background: Chronic heart failure has a high mortality and early provision of palliative care supports complex decision-making and improves quality of life. Aim: To explore whether and when a palliative approach was adopted during the last 12 months of life in patients who experienced an in-hospital death from heart failure. Design: Retrospective medical record review of all deaths from chronic heart failure (January 2010 to December 2019). Participants: Admissions with chronic heart failure resulting in death were analysed from an Australian tertiary referral centre. Results: The cohort (n=517) were elderly (median age 83.8 years IQR=77.6–88.7) and male (55.1%). Common comorbidities were is..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Natasha Smallwood Author

Douglas Johnson Author

Brian Le Author

Dominica Zentner Author

Grants

Awarded by Windermere Foundation

Funding Acknowledgements

No funding was received directly for this study. Assoc Prof Natasha Smallwood receives research funding from a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator grant and as a research fellowship from the Windermere Foundation.