National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance supports the introduction of sacubitril/valsartan under the supervision of a heart failure specialist with access to a multi-disciplinary heart failure team. Clinical information was obtained retrospectively on all patients with a primary coded diagnosis of heart failure discharged from the Conquest Hospital, Hastings, UK during the calendar year 2015. We recorded the proportion of patients meeting the NICE recommendation and those patients meeting the additional PARADIGM-HF (Prospective comparison of ARNI with ACEI to Determine Impact on Global Mortality and morbidity in Heart Failure) study inclusion criteria.
In a total of 205 assessable patients discharged with a primary diagnosis of heart failure during the calendar year 2015, inpatient mortality was 11%, with a crude readmission rate during the year of 17%. The number of patients meeting the NICE criteria was 26 (13%). In hierarchical analysis taking the major PARADIGM-HF inclusion criteria, 20 patients (10%) patients met the inclusion criteria.
In conclusion, the findings from this audit suggest that the number of patients potentially suitable for sacubitril/valsartan therapy is low. Given the PARADIGM-HF study run-in design, the optimal dose and stability of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and angiotensin-receptor blocker medication may need to be clarified if sacubitril/valsartan is to be commenced during or shortly after hospitalisation.
