Early and comprehensive care bundle in the elderly for acute heart failure in the emergency department: study protocol of the ELISABETH stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial

摘要

BackgroundAcute heart failure (AHF) is one of the most common diagnoses for elderly patients in the emergency department (ED), with an admission rate above 80% and 1-month mortality around 10%. The European guidelines for the management of AHF are based on moderate levels of evidence, due to the lack of randomized controlled trials and the scarce evidence of any clinical added value of a specific treatment to improve outcomes. Recent reports suggest that the very early administration of full recommended therapy may decrease mortality. However, several studies have highlighted that elderly patients often received suboptimal treatment. Our hypothesis is that an early care bundle that comprises early and comprehensive management of symptoms, along with prompt detection and treatment of precipitating factors should improve AHF outcome in elderly patients.