[Influence of patient's sex in the form of presentation and the management of acute heart failure in Spanish emergency rooms].
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the differences by sex in clinic presentation, diagnostic approach and initial treatment in patients with acute heart failure who are attended in emergency rooms.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
Prospective, evaluated, descriptive, transverse and multicentric study, which includes all patients attended by acute heart failure in emergency rooms of 10 Spanish centers between April 15th and May 15th, 2007 (n=944). Data were recorded regarding socio-demographic, comorbidity, previous heart disease, complementary explorations, previous home treatment, and therapeutic measurements in emergency.


RESULTS
Regarding men, women (n=501; 53%) were older (79+/-9 and 75+/-10, P<.001), and had more hypertension (83,4% vs 74,9%, P<.01), valvular heart disease (23,1% vs 17,8%, P<.05) and obesity (21,9% vs 15,6%, P<.05); however, they also had less prevalence of coronary heart disease (26,5% vs 43,3%, P=.001) and smoking (4,4 % vs 18,7%, P<.001). According to outpatient treatment, women were less likely to be treated with beta blockers (19,6% vs 30,2%, P<.001) and antithrombotics (34,1% vs 41,3%, P<.05). Treatment administered in the emergency was similar in both groups, yet women received more frequently digoxin (25,7% vs 17,4%, P<.01). Moreover, women were admitted to the cardiology department less often (8,0% vs 13,8%, P<.01).


CONCLUSIONS
In emergency, the diagnostic and therapeutic approach is very similar in both sexes and the most cases, differences can be justified due to the different patients' profile and the ambulatory handling before their consultation to emergency.