How to Prevent Heart Failure Readmission by Using Lung Impedance Device (HOPE-HF Study)

The readmission of Heart Failure (HF) patients for exacerbation HF within 30-day is unmet goal. The mail reason for readmission is excessive accumulation of fluid in patient's lung. According our data (1,2) around 40% of HF patient have excessive lung fluid at discharge from HF hospitalization ("unacceptable" residual congestion on discharge). In other words, around 40% patients are discharged from HF hospitalization prematurely when they are not ready to be discharged. Only 60% of HF patients are discharged from HF admission with "acceptable" level of residual pulmonary congestion (2). There are some techniques to assess "readiness" of HF patients for discharge. Pulmonary congestion (lung fluid accumulation) may be assessed non-invasively by measurement Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP), (3,4), by lung ultrasound (LUS), (5-7) and by Lung Impedance (LI) method (1,2). LUS is operator depended technique. LI and BNP techniques are most reliable methods (2) and easy to use.