Key Points
- To identify precipitating causes and clinical factors influencing short- and long-term mortality in patients hospitalized for acute pulmonary edema.
- Retrospective chart review of 106 hospital admissions among 94 patients presenting with acute pulmonary edema over a 6-month period.
- Assessed underlying clinical precipitants, in-hospital mortality, and post-discharge survival at 1-year follow-up.
- In-hospital mortality was 17.0% (16 patients), and an additional 39.7% of discharged patients died within one year, yielding an overall 1-year mortality of 51.2%.
- Common precipitants included worsening congestive heart failure (25.5%), coronary insufficiency (20.8%), subendocardial myocardial infarction (16.0%), transmural myocardial infarction (10.4%), and arrhythmia (8.5%).
- Improved survival was observed in patients with progressively worsening congestive heart failure compared to other precipitants, as well as in patients presenting with an initial systolic blood pressure of 160 mm Hg or higher.
Structured PICO
PPopulation94 patients (106 admissions) with acute pulmonary edema
OOutcomeIn-hospital mortality and one-year mortalityhard clinical
Acute pulmonary edema carries a high one-year mortality of 51.2%, with a better prognosis observed in patients whose precipitant is worsening heart failure or who present with an initial systolic blood pressure ≥160 mm Hg.