Figures (4)  Tables (7)
    • Figure 1. 

      The K-M of survival and hazard functions plot of the time to death of CHF patients.

    • Figure 2. 

      Plot of Kaplan-Meier estimates for different predictor parameters.

    • Figure 3. 

      Check of the proportional hazard assumption using a graphical method.

    • Figure 4. 

      Cox Snell residual for Weibull distribution.

    • Model Mathematical expression Definition
      Cox Proportional Hazards[25] $ h(t|X) = h_0(t) \cdot e^{\beta^T X} $ h(t|X): Hazard function; h0(t): Baseline hazard; β: Regression coefficients.
      Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) Models
      Exponential[31] $ T_i = \exp(\beta^T X_i + \epsilon_i) $ Ti: Survival time; Xi: Covariates; εi: Error term.
      Weibull[32] $ T_i = \exp(\beta^T X_i + \epsilon_i)^{1/\gamma} $ γ: Weibull shape parameter; other terms as defined above.
      Log-normal[33] $ \log(T_i) = \beta^T X_i + \epsilon_i $ Log-transformed survival model; definitions as above.
      Log-logistic[34] $ T_i = \left[\exp(-(\beta^T X_i + \epsilon_i))\right]^{-1/\gamma} $ γ: Log-logistic shape parameter; other terms as defined above.

      Table 1. 

      Summary of survival models used in the present study.

    • VariableCategoriesTotal (%)CensoredDied
      SexFemale124 (50.8%)113 (91.9%)11 (8.1%)
      Male109 (49.2%)97 (88.1%)12 (11.9%)
      NYHA classClass II & III101 (41.4%)93 (93.1%)8 (6.9%)
      Class IV132 (58.6%)116 (87.9%)16 (12.1%)
      HypertensionYes184 (75.4%)171 (92.9%)13 (7.1%)
      No49 (24.6%)39 (79.6%)10 (20.4%)
      Chronic kidney diseaseYes124 (53.2%)112 (91.1%)12 (8.9%)
      No109 (46.8%)97 (89.0%)12 (11.0%)
      TBYes27 (11.1%)19 (74.1%)8 (25.9%)
      No206 (88.9%)189 (92.2%)17 (7.8%)
      PneumoniaYes120 (48.7%)100 (84.2%)20 (15.8%)
      No113 (51.3%)109 (96.5%)4 (3.5%)
      Diabetes mellitusYes44 (18.0%)36 (84.1%)8 (15.9%)
      No189 (82.0%)173 (91.5%)16 (8.5%)
      Electrolyte imbalanceYes134 (57.5%)117 (87.3%)17 (12.7%)
      No99 (42.5%)93 (93.9%)6 (6.1%)
      Overall233 (100%)209 (90.0%)24 (10.0%)

      Table 2. 

      Characteristics of demographic variables.

    • Variable Min. Max. 1st Qu. (25%) Median (50%) 3rd Qu. (75%)
      Time (m) 1 36 2 6 18
      Age (y) 19 90 40 59 70

      Table 3. 

      Summary statistics of time-to-death and age of HF patients.

    • CovariatesDFChi-squarep-value
      Sex10.680.4080
      NYHA class12.420.1198
      Hypertension19.810.0017
      Chronic kidney disease10.130.7140
      TB16.280.0122
      Pneumonia110.280.0013
      Diabetes mellitus11.760.1841
      Electrolyte imbalance12.580.1081

      Table 4. 

      Results of the log-rank test for each category variable.

    • Models AIC BIC Log likelihood
      Exponential 197.510 221.64 −91.755
      Weibull 193.851 221.42 −88.926
      Log-logistic 195.293 222.87 −89.646
      Log-normal 194.772 222.34 −89.386

      Table 5. 

      AIC, BIC, and log likelihood.

    • Model Covariate $ \hat{\beta}_j $ S.E p-value
      Cox Sex (male) −0.491 0.660 0.457
      NYHA class IV −1.167 0.710 0.100
      Hypertension (yes) 1.937 0.694 0.005
      Pneumonia (yes) 2.472 0.939 0.008
      Chronic kidney disease (yes) 0.152 0.650 0.815
      TB (yes) 1.575 0.784 0.045
      Diabetes mellitus (yes) 0.913 0.722 0.206
      Electrolyte imbalance (yes) 1.191 0.768 0.121
      Exponential NYHA class IV 0.521 0.478 0.275
      Hypertension (yes) 1.705 0.483 0.000
      Pneumonia (yes) −1.733 0.601 0.004
      TB (yes) −0.160 0.490 0.744
      Diabetes mellitus (yes) −1.035 0.474 0.029
      Electrolyte imbalance (yes) −1.139 0.550 0.038
      Log-logistic NYHA class IV 0.779 0.697 0.264
      Hypertension (yes) 1.954 0.793 0.014
      Pneumonia (yes) −1.941 0.804 0.016
      TB (yes) 1.048 0.853 0.219
      Diabetes mellitus (yes) 1.093 0.784 0.163
      Electrolyte imbalance (yes) −1.750 0.834 0.036
      Log-normal NYHA class IV −0.779 0.697 0.264
      Hypertension (yes) 1.954 0.793 0.014
      Pneumonia (yes) −1.941 0.804 0.016
      TB (yes) −1.048 0.853 0.219
      Diabetes mellitus (yes) −1.093 0.784 0.163
      Electrolyte imbalance (yes) −1.750 0.834 0.036
      Weibull NYHA class IV −0.697 0.690 0.312
      Hypertension (yes) 2.240 0.742 0.003
      Pneumonia (yes) −2.270 0.900 0.012
      TB (yes) −0.593 0.741 0.423
      Diabetes mellitus (yes) −1.399 0.714 0.050
      Electrolyte imbalance (yes) −1.600 0.815 0.050
      Intercept (constant) 7.561 1.352 0.000

      Table 6. 

      Parameter estimates and p-values for different models.

    • Covariate $ \hat{\beta}_j $ SE $ \hat{\phi}_j $ p-value 95% CI for $ \phi $
      LCL UCL
      NYHA class Class II & III Ref
      Class IV −0.697 0.690 0.498 0.312 0.129 1.927
      Hypertension No Ref
      Yes 2.240 0.742 9.393 0.003 2.192 40.246
      Pneumonia No Ref
      Yes −2.270 0.900 0.103 0.012 0.018 0.603
      TB No Ref
      Yes −0.593 0.741 0.553 0.423 0.129 2.358
      Diabetes
      mellitus
      No Ref
      Yes −1.399 0.714 0.247 0.050 0.061 0.999
      Electrolyte
      imbalance
      No Ref
      Yes −1.600 0.815 0.202 0.050 0.041 0.998
      Intercept
      (constant)
      7.561 1.352 1921.77 0.000
      Log likelihood = −88.926, AIC = 193.851, ρ (shape parameter) = 1.458.

      Table 7. 

      Maximum likelihood parameter estimate of the Weibull AFT model.