Heart failure - tools from the guidelines

We have developed tools and algorithms from the latest National Heart Foundation of Australia and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand: Guidelines for the Prevention, Detection, and Management of Heart Failure in Australia 2018.

They are available now on the Smart Heart Guidelines App, or as printable versions below for health care professionals.

Heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction 

Heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction have reduced cardiac output due to reduced left ventricle systolic function. This has multiple negative consequences. These many and varied and negative consequences of reduced cardiac output and heart failure also represents targets for intervention from which the greatest heart failure treatment successes have arisen.  

Figure 1. Summarises the drivers and potential targets for treatment in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Refer to section 3.5 Pathophysiology of the heart failure clinical guidelines for further detail. 

The diagnostic workup of a patient with suspected heart failure 

The diagnostic workup of a patient with suspected heart failure is summarised in Figure 2.

Highly recommended investigations include the 12-lead ECG, chest x-ray, transthoracic echocardiography and laboratory blood testing, to establish an initial working diagnosis and treatment plan.  

Refer to section 5. Diagnosis and Investigations of the heart failure clinical guidelines to further detail.  

Management of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction 

Figure 3. Management of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction briefly summaries the approach to management in patients with HFrEF.

Refer to section 7.1 Heart Failure with Reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction of the heart failure clinical guidelines for further detail.  

The heart failure guidelines make a strong recommendation that medications that can exacerbate heart failure symptoms or cause deterioration in cardiovascular hemodynamics should be re-evaluated, because their adverse effects may be reversible. Table 10. outlines medications that may cause or exacerbate chronic heart failure.  

Refer to section 6.1 Assessment of the heart failure clinical guidelines for further detail. 

You can access clinical heart failure guidelines and these interactive tools in the Smart Heart Guidelines App.


Download the Smart Heart Guidelines app