Long‐term risk stratification for hospitalized patients with acute heart failure at a single rural cardiovascular centre

AIMS: Early risk stratification of patients with acute heart failure (AHF) is critical for appropriate triage and outcome improvement. The serum sodium, blood urea nitrogen, age, serum albumin, systolic blood pressure, and natriuretic peptide level (SOB‐ASAP) score can predict in‐hospital mortality of AHF. However, the relationship between the SOB‐ASAP score and long‐term prognosis is unknown. This study investigated the determinants of the long‐term prognosis of AHF by evaluating the SOB‐ASAP score. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included all patients with acute decompensated heart failure who were admitted to our hospital between April 2017 and March 2018. And those who discharged were analysed retrospectively. The follow‐up period was 3 years. Primary end point was all‐cause death. RESULTS: Total of 140 patients were analysed. The median SOB‐ASAP score of entire cohort on admission was 3 points (interquartile range; 1–5). The Kaplan–Meier curve demonstrated that patients in the higher SOB‐ASAP group (score ≥3) had a higher incidence of all‐cause death (log‐rank test; P < 0.001) than those in the lower SOB‐ASAP (group score <3). CONCLUSIONS: At admission, the SOB‐ASAP score may be useful for predicting the long‐term prognosis of hospitalized patients with AHF.