The authors analyzed 107 patients with congestive heart failure who were confirmed by the clinical symptoms and the laboratory findings among the admitted patients in Busan St. Benect Hospital, Susan, Korea between 1971 and 1975.
The results were as follows:
1) In sex distribution, there were 50 males and 57 females of 107 cases and was slightly predominant in female. The incidence was highest in the 7th decade.
2) The underlying diseases were in the following order; hypertensive heart disease (45. %), rheumatic heart disease (26.2%), arteriosclerotic heart disease (12.1%), cor pulmonale (5. 6%), postpartum myocarditis (1.9%), pericarditis(1.9%), syphilitic heart disease(0. 9%) and congenital heart disease(0.9%).
3) The important symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, epigastric discomfort and RUQ pain, palpitation and fatigue were noticed, and the physical findings such as hepatomegaly, moist rale, pulmonary congestion, edema, heart murmur, enlarged cervical vein, arrhythmia and sputum-were revealed on admission.
4) The biochemical liver function tests showed abnormal BSP-retention (75.0%) which was thought to be the most sensitive in cardiogenic hepatic dysfunction, decreased albumin level (70.3%) and total serum protein (68.8%), elevated alkaline phosphatase level (65.4%), and increased globulin level (62.5%).
5) ESR was increased in 51.2% of cases and albuminuria was revealed in 13.7%.
6) The E.C.G. findings on admission revealed flat or inverted T wave (44.2%), ST segment depression (38.4%), LVH(24. 4%), sinus tachycardia(19.8%), and RBBB(9.3%), and 8.1% was within normal
limit.
7) The chest X-ray findings showed cardiomegaly and pulmonary congestion (43.0%), cardiomegaly (19.0%), pleural effusion (18.0%) and pulmonary congestion (14.0%).
After treatment 75 cases (70. 1%) of 107 cases were improved, but 27 cases (25. 2%) were not improved and 5 cases (4.7%) died.
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