Heart Failure: Management of Patients with Left-Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction: Quick Reference Guide for Clinicians

More than 2 million Americans have heart failure, and about 400,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Mortality is high, with 5-year mortality in the range of 50 percent. Many of the almost 1 million hospitalizations each year for heart failure might be prevented by improved evaluation and care.This Quick Reference Guide for Clinicians summarizes major recommendations in Heart Failure: Evaluation and Care of Patients with Left-Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction. Clinical Practice Guideline No, 11. The document was prepared by RAND, a nonprofit research and policy organization, and a private-sector panel of experts and consumers. Guideline recommendations are intended for Use by a broad range of health care practitioners.The guideline recommendations are based on a combination of evidence obtained through extensive literature reviews and on expert judgment where evidence was lacking. Specific recommendations are made in the following areas: Prevention of heart failure with asymptomatic left-ventricular systolic dysfunction.Approaches to diagnosis and initial evaluation of suspected heart failure.Hospital admission and discharge criteria.Pharmacological management.Patient counseling and education.Exercise and rehabilitation.Evaluation for myocardial revascularization.Patient monitoring and followup evaluation.