Management of acute heart failure in the emergency department

Abstract

Acute heart failure (AHF) is a leading cause of hospital admission in the UK and is associated with significant mortality. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ( 2014 ) has published guidelines for the management of AHF but, after a clinical event in which a patient's management differed from that recommended in the guidelines occurred in the author's emergency department, he conducted a critical analysis of them. This article provides a case study of the clinical event, reviews the treatment methods adopted and explores the rationale for taking a different approach from that recommended in the guidelines. The evidence base for the use of diuretics, nitrates and non-invasive ventilation in the management of patients with AHF is also appraised.

Keywords: acute heart failure; congestive cardiac failure; emergency care; left ventricular failure; pulmonary oedema.