Implementation of recommendations for the diagnosis of heart failure. [corrected

Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
K KorbM Scherer

Abstract

National and international guidelines for the management of congestive heart failure (HF) suggest a variety of procedures for establishing its diagnosis and monitoring its course. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate which of these recommendations were actually implemented and documented in the setting of general medical practice. Patients receiving at least one cardiovascular drug (World health [WHO] anatomical chemical classification [ATC] class C) were identified from electronic medical records from 5 general practices from 1.4.2001 to 1.10.2004. Those patients with the documented diagnosis of HF were selected. All patients' records were reviewed and those diagnostic procedures and clinical findings were recorded on a standardized data extraction form that had been used to establish the diagnosis of HF. An electrocardiogram had been documented or retrieved in the chart in 41.2% of a total of 829 patients, an chest X-ray in 28.2%, an echocardiogram in 17.2%, and a cardiac catheterization performed in 1.8%. Serum natriuretic peptides were never recorded. Additionally the following symptoms and clinical signs were extracted from the paper chart: ankle edema (39.3%), exertional dyspnea (22.7%), rales (21.5%),...Continue Reading

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