1. Lung Ultrasound–Guided Emergency Department Management of Acute Heart Failure (BLUSHED-AHF)
- Author
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Sean P. Collins, Xiaochun Li, Robert R. Ehrman, Phillip D. Levy, Rob Ferre, Luna Gargani, Vicki E. Noble, Kathleen A. Lane, Frances M. Russell, and Peter S. Pang
- Subjects
Out of hospital ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Lung ,business.industry ,Pilot trial ,Significant difference ,Emergency department ,medicine.disease ,Lung ultrasound ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Heart failure ,Emergency medicine ,medicine ,In patient ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business - Abstract
Objectives The goal of this study was to determine whether a 6-hour lung ultrasound (LUS)-guided strategy-of-care improves pulmonary congestion over usual management in the emergency department (ED) setting. A secondary goal was to explore whether early targeted intervention leads to improved outcomes. Background Targeting pulmonary congestion in acute heart failure remains a key goal of care. LUS B-lines are a semi-quantitative assessment of pulmonary congestion. Whether B-lines decrease in patients with acute heart failure by targeting therapy is not well known. Methods A multicenter, single-blind, ED-based, pilot trial randomized 130 patients to receive a 6-hour LUS-guided treatment strategy versus structured usual care. Patients were followed up throughout hospitalization and 90 days’ postdischarge. B-lines ≤15 at 6 h was the primary outcome, and days alive and out of hospital (DAOOH) at 30 days was the main exploratory outcome. Results No significant difference in the proportion of patients with B-lines ≤15 at 6 hours (25.0% LUS vs 27.5% usual care; P = 0.83) or the number of B-lines at 6 hours (35.4 ± 26.8 LUS vs 34.3 ± 26.2 usual care; P = 0.82) was observed between groups. There were also no differences in DAOOH (21.3 ± 6.6 LUS vs 21.3 ± 7.1 usual care; P = 0.99). However, a significantly greater reduction in the number of B-lines was observed in LUS-guided patients compared with those receiving usual structured care during the first 48 hours (P = 0.04). Conclusions In this pilot trial, ED use of LUS to target pulmonary congestion conferred no benefit compared with usual care in reducing the number of B-lines at 6 hours or in 30 days DAOOH. However, LUS-guided patients had faster resolution of congestion during the initial 48 hours. (B-lines Lung Ultrasound–Guided ED Management of Acute Heart Failure Pilot Trial; NCT03136198 )
- Published
- 2021
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