Introduction: Repetitive hospitalizations are a general major health problem in patients with chronic disease. Congestive heart failure, one of the most common in-dications for hospitalization, is also associated with a high incidence of early rehospitalization.
Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 100 patients aged between 48-85 years, that had been hospitalized with documented congestive heart failure in „St. Spiri-don“ County Emergency Hospital between 2010-2017. Recurrent heart failure was the most common cause for readmission, and other cardiac disorders and noncar-diac illness were accounted for readmissions. Predic-tive factors of an increased probability of readmission included prior history of heart failure, heart failure decompensation precipitated by an ischaemic episod, atrial fibrillation or uncontrolled hypertension.
Results: The etiology of heart failure was: ischemic di-lated cardiomyopathy (21 cases), ethanolic cardiomyopathy (43 cases), mixed etiology (ischemic and etha-nolic cardiomyopathy) (20 cases), valvulopathy (16 ca-ses). Left heart decompensation (78%), global cardiac decompensation (60%), anticoagulant accident (52%), side effects of medication (34%), arrhythmia, ventricular extrasystole or atrial fibrilation (26%), pulmonary embolism (21%), induced amiodarone thyroid dys-function (9%), angina pectoris (5%).
Conclusions: The authors confirm that the heart failure decompensation was the most common cause for read-mission. The diagnosis of heart failure decompensation precipitated by an ischaemic episod, atrial fibrillation or medication side effects.