None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
To establish whether intensive follow up of persons admitted to hospital with heart failure, in an out patient clinic setting is more effective than usual follow up. Also, if treatment of heart failure guided by levels of the hormone BNP is better than treatment guided by usual assessment guidelines. The three possible treatment groups are: 1. Usual Care Group: Individuals will be followed up via standard health care channels ie GP visits, OP clinic visits. 2. Clinical Group: This group will be reviewed at 3 monthly out patient clinics and a standardised clinical score will be applied to guide treatment regimes. 3. NBNP Group: Also reviewed by the research team at 3 monthly intervals and heart failure treatments are to be guided by NBNP values. Patients will either continue their health care treatment post discharge via the normal channels, or will be followed up at 3 month intervals, with treatment guided by NBNP levels and/or clinical assessment tools.
Interventions
Intensive follow up of persons with heart failure, and treatment of heart failure guided by levels of the hormone BNP.
To establish whether intensive follow up of persons admitted to hospital with heart failure, in an out patient clinic setting is more effective than usual follow up. Also, if treatment of heart failure guided by levels of the hormone BNP is better than treatment guided by usual assessment guidelines.
Sponsors
Health Research Council of New Zealand
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Symptomatic congestive HF as defined by Framingham criteria (Table 1), requiring admission to hospital in subjects able to give competent informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
Active myocarditis/pericarditis.Under active consideration for cardiac transplantation. Life expectancy due to non-cardiovascular disease <24 months.Severe hepatic or pulmonary disease (FEV1 <1L).Renal impairment with creatinine at discharge from index admission >0.25mmol/L.Transient HF in association with myocardial infarction treated with acute revascularisation and subsequent ejection fraction during index admission >40%.Severe valvular disease being considered for surgery, or severe aortic stenosis (valve area <1cm2), or symptoms of HF secondary to mitral stenosis.
Outcome results
None listed