QRS Voltage in Acute Heart Failure: Associations with BNP Levels and Diuretic Administration

Acute heart failure (AHF) is typically defined as the worsening of chronic heart failure and is a common reason for emergency department (ED) visits. With high readmission and comorbidity rates, AHF proves to be both costly to treat and difficult to diagnose. The ECG is a common instrument found in the ED used to assess patients with AHF. A lower QRS complex, measuring the depolarization of the ventricles, has an association with worsening heart failure. Oppositely, the ECG characteristic improves with improving symptoms of heart failure. B-type natriuretic peptide, or BNP, is a lab value commonly treated as a biomarker and indicator for AHF. Additionally, the most popular method of treatment that clinicians use for AHF is loop diuretics. While longitudinal studies have been conducted focusing on the association between ECG characteristics and BNP values, the area of short-term diuresis and ECG abnormalities in ED has been left untouched. This study will look at the possible correlation between QRS voltage amplitude and BNP values in AHF patients admitted to the ED. The secondary outcome will observe possible associations between QRS voltage and diuretic administration.