Risk factors for acute critical illness due to acute heart failure
Keywords:
critical illness; heart failure; risk factorsAbstract
Introduction: Acute critical illness due to acute heart failure is defined as the sudden or subacute onset of signs and symptoms of heart failure that result in severe organ dysfunction.
Objective: Identify the risk factors associated with the development of acute critical illness due to acute heart failure.
Methods: An analytical, observational, case-control study was conducted from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025, at the Orlando Pantoja Tamayo General Teaching Hospital. A sample of 144 patients (48 cases and 96 controls) was selected by simple random sampling. Multivariate analysis was performed using a binary logistic regression model with backward stepwise selection and likelihood ratios to assess whether the independent variables contribute to the development of acute critical illness due to acute heart failure. The presence of acute critical illness due to acute heart failure was considered the dependent variable, and the independent variables were age, sex, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, multiple comorbidities, isolated right ventricular failure, cardiogenic shock, and jugular venous distension with hepatojugular reflux.
Results: The risk factors identified for the development of acute critical illness due to acute heart failure were multiple comorbidity with odds ratio (OR)= 6.027 and jugular engorgement plus hepatojugular reflux with OR = 3.744.
Conclusions: The presence of multiple comorbidities and jugular venous distension plus hepatojugular reflux are risk factors for developing acute critical illness due to acute heart failure.
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