Emergency Physician University of Maryland Baltimore, Maryland
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Disclosure(s):
Leen Alblaihed, MBBS, FAAEM: No financial relationships to disclose
Given the aging population and the increasing prevalence of comorbidities such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, HFpEF is becoming a common yet often underappreciated cause of acute heart failure in the ED. Emergency physicians must be equipped with current knowledge on appropriate diagnostic strategies—including clinical assessment, point-of-care ultrasound, and biomarker utilization—and understand tailored management principles to stabilize these patients. Mastery in diagnosing and managing diastolic heart failure in the ED can significantly reduce hospital admissions, prevent complications, and improve long-term prognosis for this growing patient population
Learning Objectives:
Identify key clinical signs, symptoms, and diagnostic tools necessary for the rapid recognition of diastolic heart failure (HFpEF) in emergency patients.
Describe evidence-based management strategies tailored to stabilize and treat patients presenting with HFpEF in the emergency setting
Apply appropriate diagnostic algorithms, including point-of-care ultrasound and biomarker use, to improve accuracy and timeliness in diagnosing diastolic heart failure
