Objective: To describe clinical characteristics, therapeutics and in-hospital and one-year mortality in hospitalized patients with diagnosis of heart failure (HF).
Methods: This was a retrospective-prospective study which evaluated all 385 hospitalizations of 257 patients with HF during the year 2002 at the Instituto de Cardiologia de Santa Catarina.
Results: There were 59.1% men in the sample. The etiology was 40.8% ischemic and 20.4% dilated cardiomyopathy in men. In women, 31.4% had ischemic etiology and 21.3% had undefined etiology. Most men had systolic dysfunction (69.7%) whereas women had predominantly (53.8%) diastolic dysfunction. Most frequent comorbidities were arterial hypertension (72.0% in women and 61.2% in men) and coronary artery disease (53.3% in women and 58.6% in men). Most prescribed drugs at the first hospital discharge were diuretics (85.2%), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor - ACEI (74.5%) and digitalis (58.2%). Death incidence in-hospital was 19.8% and 1 year after discharge mortality was 18.8%. Discharge prescription of beta-blockers (OR 0.25 CI 95% 0.09 – 0.69) and ACEI (OR 0.44 CI 95% 0.21-0.95) were associated with one-year mortality reduction. Whereas positive inotropic drug usage (OR 19.18 CI 95% 2.34-156.87) was associated with increased mortality.
Conclusion: Mortality data in this sample were consistent with data of other similar studies. Prescription of ACEI and beta-blockers are associated with mortality reduction. Intravenous positive inotropic drug usage is a marker for bad prognosis.

Keywords: 1. Congestive Heart Failure;
2. Epidemiology;
3. Mortality.