In-Hospital Management of Acute Heart Failure

Hospitalizations for decompensated heart failure confer significant morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. There are multiple clinical trials, which offer strong evidence that medications and interventions improve outcomes; however, hospitalization and mortality rates remain high. Key components of effective management during the heart failure hospitalization include appropriate diagnostic evaluation, triage and risk stratification, early implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy, adequate diuresis, management of cardiogenic shock, and appropriate discharge planning.