THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERUM CREATININE WITH LENGTH OF HOSPITAL STAY AND MORTALITY IN HEART FAILURE PATIENTS

Despite advances in the treatment of heart failure over the past decade, the
prognosis remains poor. Impaired renal function is associated with poor outcomes among heart failure
patients. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between Serum creatinine with length
of hospital stay and mortality in heart failure patients.
Materials & Methods: This is a descriptive retrospective study that reviewed 263 medical records of
heart failure patient's during 2002-2008 with a discharge diagnosis of heart failure. Demographic,
laboratory, and echocardiography data were reviewed from medical records. In this study patients with
impaired renal function were those with increased serum creatinine >1.5 mg/dl. The data were
analyzed by descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, mean, standard deviation,
independent group test, Chi-square, and ANOVA.
Results: The findings indicated that in 30.4% of patients serum creatinine level was >1.5 mg/dl. Mean
serum creatinine on admission was 1.45±0.67 mg/dL. Mortality occurred in 4.6% of patients. There
was relationship between an increase in serum creatinine level (>1.5 mg/dl) and death during
hospitalization (p=0.005). There was statistically significant difference in mean of serum creatinine
levels between 2 groups of the alive (1.42±0.63) and dead (2.22±1.07) heart failure patients (p=0/000).
And there was an association between mean length of hospital stay in patient with serum creatinine
levels <1.5 mg/dl and >1.5 mg/dl. (p=0.027)
Conclusion: The results of this study show that the presence of serum creatinine level of>1.5 mg/dl
on admission was associated with prolonged length of hospital stay and increased in-hospital mortality