Grant: CIHR New Investigator

Heart failure is the inability of the heart to pump adequate blood and oxygen to supply the needs of the body. Patients with heart failure have difficulty breathing, get tired easily and often have swollen legs and extra fluid in the lungs. In Canada, about 500,000 people have heart failure. Heart failure is a condition that results in frequent visits to clinic, emergency room visits, hospital stays, and has a high risk of death. Patients with heart failure have been well studied in the clinic, and when they are very sick (in hospital). However, patients that are getting sicker and need urgent attention have not been studied. They are often said to have 'acute heart failure'. This includes those needing an ambulance to take them to the emergency room. This group of patients is very important as they need urgent diagnosis, treatment, and a decision if they need to stay at the hospital. Currently, one third of patients with acute heart failure are sent straight home, and these patients are at high risk of needing urgent care again, and soon. This study will describe what happens to patients with heart failure during these first few hours of care, and in the next 3 months. By understanding how these patients are cared for, and how decisions are made, improvements to the system and potential treatments can be developed.