• Yun Ang Choi, Jae Yun Jung, Joong Wan Park, Min Sung Lee, Tae Kwon Kim, Stephen Gyung Won Lee, Yong Hee Lee, and Ki Hong Kim.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, Pediatric Emergency, Seoul National University Hospital, Republic of Korea.
• Am J Emerg Med. 2022 Sep 1; 59: 156161156-161.

BackgroundHeart failure (HF) is a global health burden, and its management in the emergency department (ED) is important. This study aimed to evaluate the association between focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS) and early administration of diuretics in patients with acute HF admitted to the ED.MethodsThis retrospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary academic hospital. Patients with acute HF patients who were admitted to the ED and receiving intravenous medication between January 2018 and December 2019 were enrolled. The main exposure was a FoCUS examination performed within 2 h of ED triage. The primary outcome was the time to furosemide administration.ResultsOf 1154 patients with acute HF, 787 were included in the study, with 116 of them having undergone FoCUS. The time to furosemide was significantly shorter in the FoCUS group (median time (q1-q3), 112 min; range, 65-163 min) compared to the non-FoCUS group (median time, 131 min; range, 71-229 min). In the multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, sex, chief complaint, mode of arrival, triage level, shock status, and desaturation at triage, early administration of furosemide within 2 h from triage was significantly higher in the FoCUS group (adjusted odds ratio, 1.63; 95% confidence intervals, 1.04-2.55) than in the non-FoCUS group.ConclusionsEarly administration of intravenous furosemide was associated with FoCUS examination in patients with acute HF admitted to the ED. An early screening protocol could be useful for improving levels in clinical practice at EDs.Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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