[The impact of extended travel abroad on patients with heart failure].

Abstract

Heart failure is a chronic condition whose course can be affected by extended travel. This prospective, open-label study evaluated the impact of stays abroad lasting more than two months on a population of outpatients with heart failure receiving care in a cardiology clinic. Of the 14 patients included, 12 (86%) met the composite endpoint combining a disruption in cardiac follow-up (64%), a disruption in medication adherence (64%), or cardiac decompensation (57%) upon return from their trip. Dedicated preparation prior to departure could have improved the prognosis for these patients without discouraging them from traveling abroad.