Recommendations on pre-hospital & early hospital management of acute heart failure: a consensus paper from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, the European Society of Emergency Medicine and the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine

• Published in: European journal of heart failure Vol. 17; no. 6; pp. 544 - 558
• Main Authors: Mebazaa, Alexandre, Yilmaz, M. Birhan, Levy, Phillip, Ponikowski, Piotr, Peacock, W. Frank, Laribi, Said, Ristic, Arsen D., Lambrinou, Ekaterini, Masip, Josep, Riley, Jillian P., McDonagh, Theresa, Mueller, Christian, deFilippi, Christopher, Harjola, Veli-Pekka, Thiele, Holger, Piepoli, Massimo F., Metra, Marco, Maggioni, Aldo, McMurray, John, Dickstein, Kenneth, Damman, Kevin, Seferovic, Petar M., Ruschitzka, Frank, Leite-Moreira, Adelino F., Bellou, Abdelouahab, Anker, Stefan D., Filippatos, Gerasimos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.06.2015
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Acute heart failure; Cardiac Care Facilities; cardiogenic shock; Cardiology - organization & administration; diuretics; Diuretics - administration & dosage; Emergency Medical Services; Emergency Medicine - organization & administration; Europe; Heart Failure - therapy; Humans; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; Practice Guidelines as Topic - standards; Shock, Cardiogenic; Societies, Medical; Vasodilator Agents - administration & dosage; vasodilators; Europe; cardiogenic shock; diuretics; vasodilators; Acute heart failure
• ISSN: 1388-9842; 1879-0844; 1879-0844
• DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.289

Acute heart failure is a fatal syndrome. Emergency physicians, cardiologists, intensivists, nurses and other health care providers have to cooperate to provide optimal benefit. However, many treatment decisions are opinion‐based and few are evidenced‐based. This consensus paper provides guidance to practicing physicians and nurses to manage acute heart failure in the pre‐hospital and hospital setting. Criteria of hospitalization and of discharge are described. Gaps in knowledge and perspectives in the management of acute heart failure are also detailed. This consensus paper on acute heart failure might help enable contiguous practice.