Practical Tips
A precipitating cause for AHF should be sought.
An ECG and a chest x-ray should be performed within 2 hours of initial presentation.
Initial blood tests should include: complete blood count, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, glucose, sodium, potassium, and troponin.
A transthoracic echocardiogram should be performed within 72 hours of presentation. For patients with a prior echocardiogram, another is not required unless there has been a significant change in clinical status requiring investigation, a lack of clinical response to appropriate therapy and/or it is greater than 12 months since the prior echocardiogram.
Measurement of BNP or NT-proBNP measurements may be considered even with an already established diagnosis of HF in order to obtain prognostic information.