Prospective Validation of the CoDE-HF Algorithm for the Diagnosis of Acute Heart Failure

Acute heart failure is a life-threatening condition where the heart is suddenly unable to pump blood around the body. It can be challenging to diagnose because the symptoms often mimic other conditions. Previous studies have showed that delays in making the correct diagnosis result in worse outcomes. We therefore developed a decision-support tool called CoDE-HF that uses a computer algorithm to combine levels of a blood test called NT-proBNP with patient factors to calculate the probability of acute heart failure for an individual.

In this project, we wish to evaluate the performance of CoDE-HF in approximately 2,000 patients attending the Emergency Department with suspected acute heart failure. We will store surplus material from their blood tests to measure NT-proBNP and link information from their electronic health records with other routinely collected medical information in regional and national databases in order to evaluate this algorithm.