In-hospital management of acute heart failure: Practical recommendations and future perspectives

Prognostic implications of pericardial effusion: The importance of underlying etiology

“…Although HF is a complex entity characterized by multiple phenotypes and a wide range of comorbidities, most of acute decompensations are related to some degree of fluid overload [3]. In this particular context, the severity of PE may be envisioned as a surrogate of systemic congestion related to the severity of decompensation.…”

How to develop a national heart failure clinics network: a consensus document of the Hellenic Heart Failure Association

“…2 As a result, HF is becoming a major challenge for the health care systems. 3 Several community-based studies and registries have consistently shown that evidencebased therapies are underused in real-life HF patients, while mortality and hospitalization rates are higher than those reported in randomized clinical trials. 4 Dedicated HF clinics have been developed in many countries to systematically address the unmet needs for timely diagnosis, management, and clinical follow-up of HF patients.…”

Treatment goals and discharge criteria for hospitalized patients with acute heart failure

“…The early phase of therapy has as main goals the immediate and intensive management of congestion and/or peripheral hypoperfusion along with patient's hemodynamic stabilization, preservation of tissue perfusion, and protection of vital organs from further damage (heart, brain, kidney). Symptoms and signs of congestion concern dyspnea, peripheral edema, distended jugular veins, hepatomegaly, hepatojugular reflux, and ascites, while those of hypoperfusion concern cold extremities, mottled skin, narrow pulse pressure, mental status impairment, oliguria, or even anuria . Intravenous (i.v.)…”

“…However, the most crucial step in this setting is the implementation of evidence‐based disease‐modifying oral therapies (DMT) of CHF. In cases of de novo HF, initiation of angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and beta‐blockers, followed by mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) is of utmost importance, as outlined in ESC HF guidelines . Simple clinical parameters to guide the handling of DMT during AHF hospitalization include blood pressure, heart rate, serum potassium, serum creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).…”