title: Clinical diagnosis of congestive heart failure in patients with acute dyspnea.
abstract: The validity and utility of physical examination maneuvers were determined in diagnosing congestive heart failure (CHF) in patients with acute dyspnea. Fifty one patients presented to the emergency room with the chief complaint of shortness of breath. History and physical examination were obtained independently, and the physical examination included hepatojugular reflux and the Valsalva maneuver. The diagnosis of CHF was made by predetermined criteria, and was compared with the diagnosis of the emergency room (ER) physician and with the response to bedside maneuvers. The hepatojugular reflux and Valsalva maneuvers were valid in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure in acutely dyspneic patients. Although these maneuvers rarely added to the routine assessment of patients in this study, they may provide a useful, noninvasive adjunct to clinical diagnosis in problematic cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10467.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Marantz
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Alderman
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011674:Pulse; D012018:Reflex; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014636:Valsalva Maneuver