The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of using hand carried ultrasound measurements of volume status in directing treatment of heart failure patients admitted with acute exacerbation.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of using hand carried ultrasound measurements of volume status in directing treatment of heart failure patients admitted with acute exacerbation. The use of hand carried ultrasound is expected to reduce hospital Length of stay, heart failure re-admission rates, emergency room visits and in hospital complications such as renal failure. The hypothesis tested is as follows: Null: The use of hand carried ultrasound in the management of heart failure patients did not change outcome. Alternative: The use of hand carried ultrasound in the management of heart failure patients did change outcome. The study endpoints are as follows: 1. A primary endpoint will be the impact of using hand carried ultrasound on length of hospital stay. 2. The secondary endpoint will be 30 days re-admission following heart failure hospitalization, emergency room visits and in hospital complications such as renal failure. This is a randomized controlled un-blinded study that poses very minimal risk because patients will only undergo an ultrasound measurement of Inferior vein cava (IVC) and internal jugular vein diameter and compressibility. Also, the society will benefit greatly with the prospect of reducing hospitalization and medical complications, optimizing healthcare delivery to heart failure patients, and reducing hospitalization cost. The results of this study/study procedure will only direct medical therapy that heart failure patients usually receive through routine care such as dose and frequency of diuresis.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Guideline directed medical therapy for heart failure with the addition of hand held ultrasound
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas, United States
length of hospital stay (days)
number of days from admission to discharge
Time frame: Immediately after discharge
Number of participants readmitted for heart failure with 30 days of discharge, and percentage of participant out of all participants in each group readmitted in each group within 30 days
Follow up telephone call after discharge
Time frame: One month after discharge
number of participant readmitted for any reason within 30 days of discharge, and percentage of participant ( out of all participant in each group) readmitted in each group within 30 days of discharge.
assessment of readmission to hospital
Time frame: One month after original discharge
percent change in GFR
amount of change in GFR
Time frame: One month after original discharge
hospitalization Cost
hospitalization cost measured for all hospitalization stay from admission to discharge for each participant
Time frame: immediately after discharge of hospitalization
Time to readmission
time between original hospitalization and readmission
Time frame: assessed within 4 weeks from index admission (i.e. thirty days readmission)
Number of right heart catheterization in each group and percentage of right heart catheterization in each group
document what procedures were done
Time frame: One month after admission
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