Risk Stratification Using MEESSI-AHF Scale in ED and Impact on AHF Outcomes (MEESSI)

Evaluation of the Impact of the MEESSI-AHF Scale on Decision Making and the Prognosis of Patients Diagnosed With Acute Heart Failure in the Emergency

Evaluate the impact the application of the MESSI-AHF scale (a risk stratification scale specifically derived and validated in patients diagnosed with acute heart failure, AHF) in decision making (admission vs. discharge) by emergency physicians in emergency departments (ED) and its potential impact on on the short-term prognosis of patients with AHF.

Study 1: A non-intervention study involving the consecutive inclusion of 3,200 patients with AHF in 16 Spanish EDs managed according to the usual practice. Individual risk will be retrospectively stratified according to the MEESSI-AHF scale, and we will analyze the distribution of the categories of risk in patients admitted and discharged and the prognosis of patients with low risk discharged from the ED and compare the events observed in this subgroup of patients with the recommended international standards. Study 2: This is a cuasiexperimental study in 8 EDs with consecutive inclusion of 1,600 patients with AHF managed according to the usual practice (without stratification of risk, pre-phase) and 1,600 patients managed after the implementation of the MEESSI-AHF scales for risk stratification before the final decision making in the ED (post-phase). If the patient has low risk the calculator will propose discharge; for the remaining categories of risk the calculator will propose patient admission. The final decision corresponds to the attending physician and if this decision differs from what was proposed, a reason will be given. Study 3: Open multicentre (8 EDs) randomized clinical trial (1:1) comparing the results obtained in the patients randomized to usual clinical practice (1,600 patients) with those obtained in the patients randomized to the use of the MEESSI-AHF scale for risk stratification (1,600 patients) prior to decision making. The dynamics of the decision proposed by the scale will be the same as that in Study 2. Main outcomes (Studies 1, 2, 3): Death (by any cause and cardiovascular cause) at 30 days and at 1 year; combined event (revisit to the ED or hospitalization for AHF or death) at 30 days post-discharge (global analysis of all the patients with AHF stratified by categories of risk); days alive and outside the hospital at 30 days after the index event (consultation to the ED); and proportion of patients managed without hospitalization.

Once AHF has been diagnosed at ED, and before decision-making about hospitalize/discharge home is taken, physicians will objectively measure the severity of decompensation, based on risk of 30-day death using MEESSI scale. As result, patient can be allocated to low, intermediate, high or very-high risk. For patients classified as low-risk, the propocol recommendation will be discharge patient to home. For patients classified as increased risk (i.e., intermediate, high or very-high risk categories), the protocol recommendation will be to hospitalize patient. Nonetheless, final decission will be left to emergency physician, and overruling (disposition against recommendation) will be allowed. For discharged patients, there is no follow up intervention planned, and it will be based on current centre protocols.For hospitalized patients, department of admission will be based on current centre protocols, with no intervention at this level.

Once AHF has been diagnosed at ED, emergency physicians will decide patient disposition according to their usual strategies of care, that currently do not include risk stratification. For discharged patients, there is no follow up intervention planned, and it will be based on current centre protocols. For hospitalized patients, department of admission will be based on current centre protocols, with no intervention at this level.

Once AHF has been diagnosed at ED, and before decision-making about hospitalize/discharge home is taken, physicians will objectively measure the severity of decompensation, based on risk of 30-day death using MEESSI scale. As result, patient can be allocated to low, intermediate, high or very-high risk. For patients classified as low-risk, the propocol recommendation will be discharge patient to home. For patients classified as increased risk (i.e., intermediate, high or very-high risk categories), the protocol recommendation will be to hospitalize patient. Nonetheless, final decission will be left to emergency physician, and overruling (disposition against recommendation) will be allowed.

Number of days with patient staying out of hospital (it can be at home, et residencial nursing house, etc., but not at hospital) from randomization (day 0) to day 30.

Composite endpoint withing 30 days after discharge (ED revisit due to AHF, hospitalization due to AHF or all-cause death)

Event will be considered if patient present ED revisit due to AHF, hospitalization due to AHF or all-cause death from the time of discharge (from ED or after hospitalization, day 0) to day 30. Accordingly, patients dying during index event (in-hospital mortality) did not account for this outcome.

Event will be considered if patient present ED revisit due to AHF from the time of discharge (from ED or after hospitalization, day 0) to day 30. Accordingly, patients dying during index event (in-hospital mortality) did not account for this outcome.

Event will be considered if patient is hospitalized due to AHF from the time of discharge (from ED or after hospitalization, day 0) to day 30. Accordingly, patients dying during index event (in-hospital mortality) did not account for this outcome.

Event will be considered if patient dies from the time of discharge (from ED or after hospitalization, day 0) to day 30. Accordingly, patients dying during index event (in-hospital mortality) did not account for this outcome.

We will calcultate the percentage of patients with AHF that are entirely managed in the ED and sent home, without hospitalization

All previous analyses will be made just using patients of the intervention arm that were managed according to recommendation provided after risk stratification with MEESSI scale (i.e., disregarding patients for whom recommendation was overruled by the emergency physician)

Inclusion Criteria: Clinical diagnosis of AHF based on Framinham criteria NT-proBNP >300 pg/mL Patient able to consent Exclusion Criteria: ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome

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