Acute heart failure in the older patient in the emergency department

Acute heart failure is a highly prevalent geriatric syndrome presenting one of the most frequent reasons for visits to the emergency department and hospital admission, and is associated with a high morbidity and mortality and acute functional impact. The present study reviews some of the features that characterize diagnosis and immediate management of acute heart failure in older people, as well as recommendations about the management of co-morbidity, risk stratification and the decision-making process, and the design of care plans in this older age group within the setting of hospital emergency departments.