Table 1.

Criteria for inclusion in the registry of patients with a diagnosis of chronic heart failure (CHF) seeking emergency care

Inclusion criteria	Prior diagnosis of CHF with diastolic or systolic left ventricular dysfunction
	Deterioration of CHF ≥ 3 days with symptoms of increasing dyspnoea, orthopnoea, weight gain ≥ 2 kg, debuting peripheral oedema or abdominal swelling
	Signs of fluid retention or myocardial dysfunction, such as extended jugular vein, leg oedema, tachypnoea, pulmonary crackles, ascites and third heart sound
	At least one symptom and one sign should be present
	New York Heart Association class II - IV
Systolic heart failure was defined as:	Ejection fraction ≦ 45%.
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction was defined as:	Ejection fraction > 45% and signs of diastolic dysfunction:
	One of the following criteria should be fulfilled:
	- Posterior wall thickness + interventricular septum thickness/2 > 1.3 cm.
	- Enlarged left atrium (female > 42 mm, male > 46 mm) in absence of atrial fibrillation.