Heart failure reviews
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Heart failure reviews · Jul 2004
ReviewEmergency department management of patients with acute decompensated heart failure.
The Acute Decompensated HEart Failure National REgistry (ADHERE(R)) confirms that the management of decompensated heart failure is an emergency department (ED) problem, as more than 75% of patients admitted to the hospital with heart failure arrive through the ED. This emphasizes the need for collaboration among emergency medicine, cardiology, nephrology, and hospitalists in the management of acute decompensated heart failure. Such collaboration is important for several reasons, including the enhancement of patient care. ⋯ This article will focus on initiatives that can be implemented in the ED to help with these strategies. In particular, we will discuss early initiation of therapy and its ability to improve length of stay, reduce re-admissions, and reduce ICU admissions. Use of the observation unit for the management of heart failure will also be discussed as a way of decreasing admissions from the ED.