Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Chronic Heart Failure

Launched by MASARYK UNIVERSITY · Mar 14, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at a new way to help people with chronic heart failure, a condition where the heart struggles to pump blood effectively. The study will compare two methods of care: one that uses Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) to guide treatment and another that relies on a standard blood test called NT-proBNP. This trial will follow participants for 12 months to see if the POCUS method is just as effective as the standard care after they've been hospitalized for heart failure.

To be eligible for this study, participants must have been recently hospitalized for acute heart failure and experience symptoms like shortness of breath or swelling. They should also have specific clinical signs or test results indicating heart issues. However, individuals with certain conditions, such as severe obesity, cognitive difficulties, or those currently pregnant or involved in another study, will not be eligible. If selected, participants can expect to receive care guided by either the ultrasound or the blood test, and they'll be closely monitored throughout the year to assess their health and well-being.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patients after hospitalization for acute heart failure (AHF)
• • Symptoms (shortness of breath, oedema, decreased exercise tolerance, increase in abdominal circumference)
• • Clinical signs (jugular vein distention, hepatojugular reflux, third heart sound, wet lung crackles, pitting oedema) or signs of congestion on CT, X-ray or ultrasound
• • NT-proBNP \>450 pg/mL \<55 years old, \>900 pg/mL 55-75 years old, \>1800 pg/mL \>75 years old
• • Increase in oral diuretic therapy or need for IV diuretics
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • pregnancy or lactation
• • under 18 years of age,
• • current AHF due to a transient cause (Takotsubo syndrome, neurogenic myocardial stunning, septic cardiomyopathy, cardiac tamponade, pulmonary embolism with acute cor pulmonale, thyrotoxicosis, bradycardia \<40/min)
• • planned surgical treatment of the HF cause, CRT implantation or valvular repair ≤ 30 days ago, STEMI or coronary angiography with PCI or CABG ≤ 30 days ago, untreated AV block III. and II. degree type 2, planned or previous heart transplantation, myocarditis ≤ 6 months ago, complex congenital heart disease, cardiac amyloidosis, hypertrophic and restrictive cardiomyopathy, constrictive pericarditis
• • BMI over 40 kg/m2, cognitive deficit with MMSE \<18 points, life expectancy \< 12 months, progressive oncological disease, chronic liver failure Child-Pugh C, chronic kidney disease with eGFR \<0.25 ml/s
• • current participation in another study or relative of investigators