Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough oxygenated blood to meet the needs of the body's other organs. The heart keeps pumping, but not as efficiently as a healthy heart. Usually, the loss in the heart's pumping action is a symptom of an underlying heart problem. Heart failure affects nearly 5 million US adults. It is on the rise with an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 new cases each year. In 2008, MUSC was recognized by the American Heart Association through its Get with the Guidelines program with a Triple Performance Achievement. MUSC received a bronze award in the treatment of coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke. Only 25 hospitals nationwide were recognized with Triple Performance Achievement. The following graphs show how MUSC handled certain factors when treating patients with heart failure compared to the national average. The numbers reported are from April through June 2009. In all cases, a higher score is better. The state and national averages were not reported for a few of the categories. Discharge Instructions -Heart failure patients discharged home with written discharge instructions or educational material given to patient or caregiver at discharge or during the hospital stay addressing all of the following: - activity level
- diet
- discharge medications
- follow-up appointment
- weight monitoring
- what to do if symptoms worsen *
Top of page Heart failure patients with documentation in the hospital record that left ventricular function (LVF) was assessed before arrival, during hospitalization, or is planned for after discharge. Appropriate selection of medications to reduce morbidity and mortality in heart failure requires the identification of patients with impaired left ventricular systolic function. * Top of page ACE inhibitors and ARBs are medications used to treat heart attacks, and if taken within 24 hours of heart attack symptoms, they greatly reduce the risk of death. For purposes of this measure, LVSD is defined as chart documentation of a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 40% or a narrative description of left ventricular function (LVF) consistent with moderate or severe systolic dysfunction. ACEI therapy reduces mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction and is effective in a wide range of patients. * Top of page Heart failure patients with a history of smoking cigarettes, who are given smoking cessation advice or counseling during hospital stay. For purposes of this measure, a smoker is defined as someone who has smoked cigarettes anytime during the year prior to hospital arrival. Smoking cessation reduces mortality and morbidity in all populations. Patients who receive even brief smoking-cessation advice from their care providers are more likely to quit. * *Source: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Joint Commission "Specifications Manual for National Hospital Quality Measures." Top of page | 
