the number of hospitalizations in both men and women is steadily increasing. Moreover, early and frequent readmission to hospital is common in heart failure, particularly with elderly patients.
Rates of readmission
range from 27 to 47% within three to six months of initial
discharge17. Hospital admission is often prolonged: in 1990
the mean length of stay for a heart failure admission was 11.4
days in an acute medical ward and 28.5 days in an acute careof-
the-elderly ward