862 - Power mobility affecting mortality rate in congestive heart failure

Power mobility devices (PMDs), including motorized wheelchairs and scooters, are commonly prescribed for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). While PMDs can enhance quality of life, they are linked to increased cardiovascular risk factors and reduced physical activity, which are concerning given the importance of exercise in managing CHF. Limited research exists on PMD usage and cardiac outcomes. This study aims to assess the effect of PMD use on 1-year mortality among CHF patients, hypothesizing that PMD usage is associated with increased mortality.

Design: A retrospective chart review was conducted involving 118 patients diagnosed with CHF via echocardiogram from 2015 to 2019. One-year mortality was compared between patients using PMDs (n = 59) and those without PMDs (n = 59). Baseline clinical characteristics were analyzed using unpaired t-tests. The odds ratio was calculated, and Fisher’s exact test assessed significance. Survival analysis utilized Kaplan-Meier curves and the log-rank test.

Results: The 1-year mortality was 1/59 (1.7%) in the PMD group versus 5/59 (8.5%) in the control group, yielding an odds ratio of 0.186. This suggests decreased mortality with PMD use; however, this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.103). Mean time to death was 363.71 days (SE: 6.68, 95% CI: 339.06-365.25) for the PMD group and 352.15 days (SE: 1.28, 95% CI: 351.18-364.68) for the control group. The log-rank test indicated no significant survival difference (χ² = 2.82, p = 0.093).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that PMD use may be associated with decreased 1-year mortality and improved survival time among CHF patients, though not statistically significant. Nonetheless, they highlight a potential protective effect of PMDs on mortality, warranting further investigation. Future studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups are necessary to clarify the relationship between PMDs and mortality in CHF patients.