Chronic Heart Failure: National Clinical Guideline for Diagnosis and Management in Primary and Secondary Care [Internet]

Excerpt

This guideline is a partial update of NICE Guideline No 5: Chronic Heart Failure - national clinical guideline for diagnosis and management in primary and secondary care (2003). The aim of the 2003 guideline was to offer best practice advice on the care of adult patients (aged 18 years or older) who have symptoms or a diagnosis of chronic heart failure. It defined the most effective combination of symptoms, signs and investigations required to establish a diagnosis of heart failure, and those which would influence therapy or provide important prognostic information. It also gave guidance on the treatment, monitoring and support of patients with heart failure.

Since 2003, European and North American guidelines, based on new high-quality evidence from randomised controlled trials in diagnosis, treatment and monitoring have been published. A partial update of the existing NICE guideline is necessary to ensure that the recommendations take into account the new evidence available.