Impact of Treatment Guidelines on Clinical and Economic Outcomes of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Background:No data exist that demonstrate the impact of comprehensive acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) treatment guidelines on clinical and economic outcomes in hospitalized patients with this condition.Objectives:To compare clinical and economic outcomes before and after implementation of treatment guidelines for ADHF.Methods:A single-center, retrospective, chart review study was conducted in a university hospital. ADHF treatment guidelines were developed and implemented on January 1, 2004. Patients hospitalized for ADHF between January 2003 and November 2004 were identified using the Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Registry. Study periods were 12 months prior to and the 11 months following guideline implementation.Results:This cohort was comprised of 683 ADHF hospitalizations (357 preguideline, 326 postguideline); several patients were admitted more than once. There was a trend toward increased use of intravenous vasoactive drugs (VADs) following guideline implementation (19.9% vs 24.2%; p = 0...