{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T00:47:47Z","timestamp":1771462067166,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":10,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"5","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Heart"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1996,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>OBJECTIVE: To assess the investigation and treatment of cardiac failure in 1995 and to compare this with management in 1992. DESIGN: Retrospective consecutive case study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. SUBJECTS: All patients (n = 265) discharged from Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in the first quarter (January 1-31 March) of 1995 with a diagnosis of congestive cardiac failure, left ventricular failure, or heart failure (unspecified). These correspond to the International Classification of Diseases 9th revision codings of 428.0, 428.1, and 428.9 respectively. METHODS: Sociodemographic and clinical data were extracted from the case notes of the above subjects and compared with similar data from the final six months of 1992. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The use of echocardiography in confirming the diagnosis and delineating the aetiology of heart failure and the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in the treatment of patients diagnosed as having heart failure and without contraindications to these agents. RESULTS: The number of patients discharged in 1995 with a diagnosis including cardiac failure had increased by 55.7% since 1992. The use of echocardiography had also risen from 36.6% to 72% (P &lt; 0.0001) with an associated increase in the proportion of patients discharged on treatment with an ACE inhibitor (40% in 1992 v 55.1% in 1995: P &lt; 0.001). The doses of ACE inhibitors used had also increased significantly (P &lt; 0.001). Most patients with cardiac failure continue to be treated by general physicians, who are less likely to use echocardiography (P &lt; 0.01) or prescribe an ACE inhibitor (P &lt; 0.05) than cardiologists. CONCLUSIONS: There is increasing recognition, more thorough investigation, and improved treatment of heart failure. Despite this there are grounds for concern, both in terms of the adequacy of management and resource implications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/hrt.76.5.427","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2007,9,18]],"date-time":"2007-09-18T17:46:00Z","timestamp":1190137560000},"page":"427-429","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":24,"title":["Changing patterns of investigation and treatment of cardiac failure in hospital."],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"76","author":[{"given":"G. S.","family":"Hillis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A.","family":"Al-Mohammad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"M.","family":"Wood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"K. P.","family":"Jennings","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1996,11,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1538","DOI":"10.1016\/0002-8703(90)90055-3","article-title":"Epidemiologic aspects of heart failure","volume":"120","author":"Sutton, G.C.","year":"1990","unstructured":"Sutton GC. Epidemiologic aspects of heart failure. Am HeartJ 1990;120:1538-40.","journal-title":"Am HeartJ"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1158","DOI":"10.1093\/eurheartj\/14.9.1158","article-title":"Trends in hospitalization for heart failure in Scotland 1980-1990","volume":"14","author":"McMurray, J.; McDonagh, T.; Morrison, C.E.; Dargie, H.J.","year":"1993","unstructured":"McMurray J, McDonagh T, Morrison CE, Dargie HJ. Trends in hospitalization for heart failure in Scotland 1980-1990. Eur Heart J 1993;14:1158-62.","journal-title":"Eur Heart J"},{"issue":"99-1","key":"ref_3","first-page":"10","article-title":"An evaluation of the cost of heart failure to the National Health Service in the UK","volume":"6","author":"McMurray, J.; Hart, W.; Rhodes, G.","year":"1993","unstructured":"McMurray J, Hart W, Rhodes G. An evaluation of the cost of heart failure to the National Health Service in the UK. BrJMed Econ 1993;6:99-1 10.","journal-title":"BrJMed Econ"},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"584","article-title":"Evidence of inadequate investigation and treatment of patients with heart failure","volume-title":"BrHeartJ7","volume":"71","author":"Clarke, K.W.; Gray, D.; Hampton, JR","year":"1994","unstructured":"Clarke KW, Gray D, Hampton JR. Evidence of inadequate investigation and treatment of patients with heart failure. BrHeartJ7 1994;71:584-7."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"145","article-title":"Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: are we ignoring the evidence?","volume":"89","author":"Hillis, G.; Trent, R.; Winton, P.; MacLeod, A.; Jennings, K.","year":"1996","unstructured":"Hillis G, Trent R, Winton P, MacLeod A, Jennings K. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: are we ignoring the evidence? Q 7 Med 1996;89:145-50."},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"741","article-title":"The Task Force on Heart Failure of the European Society of Cardiology. Guidelines for the diagnosis of heart failure","volume":"16","year":"1995","unstructured":"The Task Force on Heart Failure of the European Society of Cardiology. Guidelines for the diagnosis of heart failure. EurHeartJ 1995;16:741-51.","journal-title":"EurHeartJ"},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"634","article-title":"Open access echocardiography in management of heart failure in the community","volume":"310","author":"Francis, C.M.; Caruana, L.; Keamey, P.; Love, M.; Sutherland, G.R.; Starkey, I.R.","year":"1995","unstructured":"Francis CM, Caruana L, Keamey P, Love M, Sutherland GR, Starkey IR, et al. Open access echocardiography in management of heart failure in the community. BMJ7 1995;310:634-6."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"725","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM199209033271010","article-title":"The prevention of heart failure-a new agenda","volume":"327","author":"Cohn, J.N.","year":"1992","unstructured":"Cohn JN. The prevention of heart failure-a new agenda. NEnglJ Med 1992;327:725-7.","journal-title":"NEnglJ Med"},{"key":"ref_9","first-page":"106","article-title":"ACE inhibitors for heart failure: a question of dose","volume-title":"BrHeartJ1","volume":"72","author":"Cleland, J.G.F.; Poole-Wilson, P.A.","year":"1994","unstructured":"Cleland JGF, Poole-Wilson PA. ACE inhibitors for heart failure: a question of dose. BrHeartJ1 1994;72:106-10."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"973","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.310.6985.973","article-title":"Severity of heart failure and dosage of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors","volume":"310","author":"Clark, A.L.; Coats, A.J.S.","year":"1995","unstructured":"Clark AL, Coats AJS. Severity of heart failure and dosage of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. BMJ 1995; 310:973-4.","journal-title":"BMJ"}],"container-title":["Heart"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/hrt.76.5.427","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]],"date-time":"2025-10-18T04:30:01Z","timestamp":1760761801000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/heart.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/hrt.76.5.427"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[1996,11]]},"references-count":10,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1996,11,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1996,11]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/hrt.76.5.427"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/hrt.76.5.427","relation":{},"ISSN":["1355-6037","1468-201X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1355-6037","type":"print"},{"value":"1468-201X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[1996,11]]}}}