Does the Use of Optiflow High Flow Oxygen on Patients With Acute Cardial Decompensation (NYHA Classification Stage III-IV) Allow for Quicker Improvement of the Organ Dysfunction Than Conventional Standard-Oxygen-Insufflation-Therapy?

The pilot study aims to compare the results of using a new respirator (OPTIFLOW TM-High-Flow-Machine) with those from Standard-Oxygen-Therapy during the stabilization of patients who have been hospitalized due to acute heart failure. We expect a faster and more effective stabilization after acute cardial decompensation among the patients with the High-Flow-machine.

The study should show whether the use of High-Flow-Therapy leads to a relevant improvement in terms of objective clinical parameters of heart failure like those for cardial-renal syndrome, changes in the nt-pro-BNP, weight loss, changes in the diameter of the inferior vena cava, in terms of the degree of shortness of breath and decompensation, and whether subjective clinical symptoms like dyspnea and quality of life differ between the two groups of patients.

The investigators see the primary outcome of the study as the improvement of the cardial-renal syndrome as a sign of the more effective stabilisation compared to the standard therapy. Furthermore, the investigators expect a quicker decrease in serum creatinine and an improvement in the creatinine clearance through therapy with the High-Flow-Machine. In terms of secondary outcomes of the study, the investigators are interested in also comparing e.g., the duration of hospital stays, 90-day mortality, and rehospitalisation within three months. Here, the investigators expect a quicker improvement in the subjective shortness of breath of the patients who are treated using the Hifh-Flow-Machine. Moreover, we believe that along with the individual subjective improvements (quality of life survey), the patients will experience a quicker release from the hospital and in this way, lead to a healthcare economic improvement among patients with repeated hospitalizations who usually have chronic problems.

It is also of great interest to us, whether the biomarker BNP is an appropriate parameter for determining the faster stabilization of the patient and whether the degree of improvement of subjective dyspnea is correlated with the time needed until the patient has been stabilised.