Congestive heart failure AHA recommendations for hospitalized patient
| Heart failure | |
| ICD-10 | I50.0 |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 428.0 |
| DiseasesDB | 16209 |
| MedlinePlus | 000158 |
| MeSH | D006333 |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S. [2]
Overview
ACC/AHA Guidelines- For the Hospitalized Patient (DO NOT EDIT) [1]
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Class I1. The diagnosis of HF is primarily based on signs and symptoms derived from a thorough history and physical examination. Clinicians should determine the following:
Chest radiographs, electrocardiogram, and echocardiography are key tests in this assessment. (Level of Evidence: C) 2. Concentrations of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) should be measured in patients being evaluated for dyspnea in which the contribution of HF is not known. Final diagnosis requires interpreting these results in the context of all available clinical data and ought not to be considered a stand alone test. (Level of Evidence: A) 3. Acute coronary syndrome precipitating HF hospitalization should be promptly identified by electrocardiogram and cardiac troponin testing, and treated, as appropriate to the overall condition and prognosis of the patient. (Level of Evidence: C) 4. It is recommended that the following common potential precipitating factors for acute HF be identified as recognition of these comorbidities is critical to guide therapy: (Level of Evidence: C)
5. Oxygen therapy should be administered to relieve symptoms related to hypoxemia. (Level of Evidence: C) 6. Whether the diagnosis of HF is new or chronic, patients who present with rapid decompensation and hypoperfusion associated with decreasing urine output and other manifestations of shock are critically ill and rapid intervention should be used to improve systemic perfusion. (Level of Evidence: C) 7. Patients admitted with HF and with evidence of significant fluid overload should be treated with intravenous loop diuretics. Therapy should begin in the emergency department or outpatient clinic without delay, as early intervention may be associated with better outcomes for patients hospitalized with decompensated HF.(Level of Evidence: B) If patients are already receiving loop diuretic therapy, the initial intravenous dose should equal or exceed their chronic oral daily dose. Urine output and signs and symptoms of congestion should be serially assessed, and diuretic dose should be titrated accordingly to relieve symptoms and to reduce extracellular fluid volume excess. (Level of Evidence: C) 8. Effect of HF treatment should be monitored with careful measurement of fluid intake and output; vital signs; body weight, determined at the same time each day; clinical signs (supine and standing) and symptoms of systemic perfusion and congestion. Daily serum electrolytes, urea nitrogen, and creatinine concentrations should be measured during the use of IV diuretics or active titration of HF medications. (Level of Evidence: C) 9. When diuresis is inadequate to relieve congestion, as evidenced by clinical evaluation, the diuretic regimen should be intensified using either: (Level of Evidence: C)
10. In patients with clinical evidence of hypotension associated with hypoperfusion and obvious evidence of elevated cardiac filling pressures (e.g., elevated jugular venous pressure; elevated pulmonary artery wedge pressure), intravenous inotropic or vasopressor drugs should be administered to maintain systemic perfusion and preserve end organ performance while more definitive therapy is considered. (Level of Evidence: C) 11. Invasive hemodynamic monitoring should be performed to guide therapy in patients who are in respiratory distress or with clinical evidence of impaired perfusion in whom the adequacy or excess of intracardiac filling pressures cannot be determined from clinical assessment. (Level of Evidence: C) 12. Medications should be reconciled in every patient and adjusted as appropriate on admission to and discharge from the hospital. (Level of Evidence: C) 13. In patients with reduced ejection fraction experiencing a symptomatic exacerbation of HF requiring hospitalization during chronic maintenance treatment with oral therapies known to improve outcomes, particularly ACE inhibitors or ARBs and beta blocker therapy, it is recommended that these therapies be continued in most patients in the absence of hemodynamic instability or contraindications. (Level of Evidence: C) 14. In patients hospitalized with HF with reduced ejection fraction not treated with oral therapies known to improve outcomes, particularly ACE inhibitors or ARBs and beta blocker therapy, initiation of these therapies is recommended in stable patients prior to hospital discharge.(Level of Evidence: B) 15. Initiation of beta blocker therapy is recommended after optimization of volume status and successful discontinuation of intravenous diuretics, vasodilators, and inotropic agents. Beta-blocker therapy should be initiated at a low dose and only in stable patients. Particular caution should be used when initiating beta blockers in patients who have required inotropes during their hospital course. (Level of Evidence: B) 16. In all patients hospitalized with HF, both with preserved and low EF, transition should be made from intravenous to oral diuretic therapy with careful attention to oral diuretic dosing and monitoring of electrolytes. With all medication changes, the patient should be monitored for supine and upright hypotension, worsening renal function and HF signs/symptoms. (Level of Evidence: C) 17. Comprehensive written discharge instructions for all patients with a hospitalization for HF and their caregivers is strongly recommended, with special emphasis on the following 6 aspects of care: diet, discharge medications, with a special focus on adherence, persistence, and uptitration to recommended doses of ACE inhibitor/ARB and beta blocker medication, activity level, follow-up appointments, daily weight monitoring, and what to do if HF symptoms worsen. (Level of Evidence: C) 18. Postdischarge systems of care, if available, should be used to facilitate the transition to effective outpatient care for patients hospitalized with HF. (Level of Evidence: B) Class IIa1. When patients present with acute HF and known or suspected acute myocardial ischemia due to occlusive coronary disease, especially when there are signs and symptoms of inadequate systemic perfusion, urgent cardiac catheterization and revascularization is reasonable where it is likely to prolong meaningful survival. (Level of Evidence: C) 2. In patients with evidence of severely symptomatic fluid overload in the absence of systemic hypotension, vasodilators such as intravenous nitroglycerin, nitroprusside or nesiritide can be beneficial when added to diuretics and/or in those who do not respond to diuretics alone. (Level of Evidence: C) 3. Invasive hemodynamic monitoring can be useful for carefully selected patients with acute HF who have persistent symptoms despite empiric adjustment of standard therapies, and (Level of Evidence: C)
4. Ultrafiltration is reasonable for patients with refractory congestion not responding to medical therapy. (Level of Evidence: B) Class IIb1. Intravenous inotropic drugs such as dopamine, dobutamine or milrinone might be reasonable for those patients presenting with documented severe systolic dysfunction, low blood pressure and evidence of low cardiac output, with or without congestion, to maintain systemic perfusion and preserve end-organ performance. (Level of Evidence: C) Class III1. Use of parenteral inotropes in normotensive patients with acute decompensated HF without evidence of decreased organ perfusion is not recommended. (Level of Evidence: B) 2. Routine use of invasive hemodynamic monitoring in normotensive patients with acute decompensated HF and congestion with symptomatic response to diuretics and vasodilators is not recommended. (Level of Evidence: B) |
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Vote on and Suggest Revisions to the Current Guidelines
Guidelines Resources
- 2009 focused update: ACCF/AHA Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure in Adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines: developed in collaboration with the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation [1]
- The ACC/AHA 2005 Guideline Update for the Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult [2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jessup M, Abraham WT, Casey DE, Feldman AM, Francis GS, Ganiats TG et al. (2009) 2009 focused update: ACCF/AHA Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure in Adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines: developed in collaboration with the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Circulation 119 (14):1977-2016. DOI:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192064 PMID: 19324967
- ↑ Hunt SA, Abraham WT, Chin MH, Feldman AM, Francis GS, Ganiats TG et al. (2005) ACC/AHA 2005 Guideline Update for the Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Update the 2001 Guidelines for the Evaluation and Management of Heart Failure): developed in collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation: endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society. Circulation 112 (12):e154-235. DOI:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.167586 PMID: 16160202