Temporal trends in decompensated heart failure and outcomes during COVID‐19: a multisite report from heart failure referral centres in London

Aims Admission rates for acute decompensated heart failure (HF) declined during the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, the impact of this reduction on hospital mortality is unknown. We describe temporal trends in the presentation of patients with acute HF and their in‐hospital outcomes at two referral centres in London during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods and results A total of 1372 patients hospitalized for HF in two referral centres in South London between 7 January and 14 June 2020 were included in the study and their outcomes compared with those of equivalent patients of the same time period in 2019. The primary outcome was all‐cause in‐hospital mortality. The number of HF hospitalizations was significantly reduced during the COVID‐19 pandemic, compared with 2019 (P