TITLE:
Acute heart failure (suspected or confirmed): Initial diagnosis and subsequent evaluation with traditional and novel technologies
AUTHORS:
Ahmad Shoaib, Thato Mabote, Mohamed Zuhair, Xenophon Kassianides, John G. F. Cleland
KEYWORDS:
Heart Failure (HF); Acute Heart Failure Syndrome; AHFS; Bio-Impedance; Diagnosis; Monitoring
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases,
Vol.3 No.3,
June
20,
2013
ABSTRACT: Acute or worsening heart
failure is a common reason for hospitalization which carries a high mortality.
Prompt diagnosis or exclusion of HF and its cause and precipitating factors can
improve the quality and efficiency of care, shorten hospital stay, reduce readmission and improve prognosis. While the clinician remains central to reaching
a clinical diagnosis of heart failure, the use of traditional and novel diagnostic
technologies will improve the specificity and sensitivity of the diagnosis of
heart failure diagnosis and provide insights into its pathophysiogical profile
and help tailor therapy to individual patient need. Chest X-rays and
electrocardiograms are generally available; echocardiograms less so. Novel
technologies include both invasive and non-invasive methods to detect increases
in intrathoracic fluid, pulmonary congestion, left ventricular filling
pressures, cardiac output and vascular function. However, few of these
technologies have been subjected to randomised controlled trials investigating
their ability to improve patient management.