Rapid Clinical Assessment of Hemodynamic Profiles and Targeted Treatment of Patients with Acutely Decompensated Heart Failure

Acutely decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is characterized by hemodynamic abnormalities and neurohormonal activation that contribute to heart failure (HF) symptoms, end-organ dysfunction, arrhythmias, and progressive cardiac failure. The management of ADHF in the emergency department (ED) can be simplified and improved by a 2-min bedside assessment that identifies any of four possible hemodynamic profiles on the basis of clinical signs and symptoms. The profiles are based on whether congestion is present or absent (wet or dry) and perfusion is adequate or limited (warm or cold). A wet-warm profile is seen more frequently in the ED than any of the other three profiles (wet-cold, dry-warm, and dry-cold). The four clinically determined profiles have been shown to predict clinical outcomes and may be used to guide initial HF therapy. The goals of treating ADHF are to stabilize the patient, reverse acute hemodynamic abnormalities, rapidly reverse dyspnea and/or hypoxemia caused by pulmonary congestion, and initiate treatments that will decrease disease progression and improve survival. An ideal agent for the wetwarm profile would rapidly reduce pulmonary congestion, produce balanced arterial and venous dilation, promote natriuresis, lack direct positive inotropic effects, and not cause reflex neuroendocrine activation. Intravenous nesiritide in conjunction with loop diuretics has been found safe and effective as initial treatment for patients with the wet-warm profile. For the wet-cold profile, more intensive therapy and invasive hemodynamic monitoring may prove useful. This review will discuss the rapid clinical determination of hemodynamic profiles in patients presenting to the ED with ADHF and the options for their initial medical management. Case studies representing the wet-warm, wet-cold, dry-warm, and dry-cold profiles will be presented and discussed.