Practical guide on acute heart failure management: from hospital admission to outpatient care

Acute heart failure (AHF) presents significant clinical and economic challenges that require a comprehensive, evidence-based strategy extending from in-hospital management to post-discharge care. Patients with AHF usually require prompt initiation or intensification of HF-directed treatment, which commonly includes intravenous diuretics, and frequently culminates in unplanned hospitalization. Despite therapeutic advances, AHF is still associated with poor outcomes, with in-hospital mortality in Portugal reaching 12.4%. Based on the expertise and clinical experience of a panel of cardiology and internal medicine specialists, this paper provides a practical guide to AHF management over the patient journey, which has been adapted to align with the specificities of the Portuguese national healthcare system: hospital admission, initial management of AHF, in-hospital management of stable phase, pre-discharge and transition of care. This practical guide highlights the importance of optimizing guideline-directed medical therapy by tailoring and rapidly uptitrating treatments to reduce mortality and readmissions. It is equally essential that structured, multidisciplinary transition-of-care programs are established that promote continuity and coordination across care settings.