August 26, 2013Open Access
View Full PaperAre Hospitalized or Ambulatory Patients with Heart Failure Treated in Accordance with European Society of Cardiology Guidelines? Evidence from 12 440 Patients of the ESC Heart Failure Long-Term Registry
Structured PICO
Are hospitalized or ambulatory patients with heart failure treated in accordance with European Society of Cardiology guidelines?
P
Population
12,440 hospitalized or ambulatory patients with acute or chronic heart failure from the ESC Heart Failure Long-Term Registry
I
Intervention
Treatment in accordance with European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines
O
Outcome
Adherence to recommendations of current guidelines
Real-world data from a pan-European registry demonstrates that chronic heart failure treatment is largely adherent to ESC guidelines when accounting for valid reasons for non-adherence, though acute heart failure management remains highly heterogeneous.
Abstract
This pan-European registry shows that, while in patients with acute HF, a large heterogeneity of treatments exists, drug treatment of chronic HF can be considered largely adherent to recommendations of current guidelines, when the reasons for non-adherence are taken into account. Observations regarding the real possibility to adhere fully to current guidelines in daily clinical practice should be seriously considered when clinical practice guidelines have to be written.