Risk Stratification Using MEESSI-AHF Scale in ED and Impact on AHF Outcomes

Study 1: A non-intervention study involving the consecutive inclusion of 3,200 patients with AHF in 16 Spanish EDs managed according to the usual practice. Individual risk will be retrospectively stratified according to the MEESSI-AHF scale, and we will analyze the distribution of the categories of risk in patients admitted and discharged and the prognosis of patients with low risk discharged from the ED and compare the events observed in this subgroup of patients with the recommended international standards. Study 2: This is a cuasiexperimental study in 8 EDs with consecutive inclusion of 1,600 patients with AHF managed according to the usual practice (without stratification of risk, pre-phase) and 1,600 patients managed after the implementation of the MEESSI-AHF scales for risk stratification before the final decision making in the ED (post-phase). If the patient has low risk the calculator will propose discharge; for the remaining categories of risk the calculator will propose patient admission. The final decision corresponds to the attending physician and if this decision differs from what was proposed, a reason will be given. Study 3: Open multicentre (8 EDs) randomized clinical trial (1:1) comparing the results obtained in the patients randomized to usual clinical practice (1,600 patients) with those obtained in the patients randomized to the use of the MEESSI-AHF scale for risk stratification (1,600 patients) prior to decision making. The dynamics of the decision proposed by the scale will be the same as that in Study 2. Main outcomes (Studies 1, 2, 3): Death (by any cause and cardiovascular cause) at 30 days and at 1 year; combined event (revisit to the ED or hospitalization for AHF or death) at 30 days post-discharge (global analysis of all the patients with AHF stratified by categories of risk); days alive and outside the hospital at 30 days after the index event (consultation to the ED); and proportion of patients managed without hospitalization.