Congestion

The SURE-HF trial is a pragmatic, multicentre, randomized controlled study evaluating natriuresis-guided optimization of intravenous loop diuretic therapy in patients hospitalized with worsening heart failure (WHF). The study aims to determine whether serial urinary sodium assessment combined with a structured decongestive treatment algorithm improves decongestion, reduces the need for therapy escalation, and enhances discharge readiness compared with standard care. Participants will be randomized to standard urine output-guided therapy or natriuresis-guided decongestive strategies using different intravenous loop diuretic administration regimens. The study integrates bedside diagnostic tools including lung ultrasound, inferior vena cava assessment, focused echocardiography, and serial clinical congestion monitoring. The primary endpoint is a hierarchical composite outcome including escalation of heart failure therapy, persistent congestion at discharge, inability to transition to oral loop diuretics by Day 5, and residual ultrasound congestion. The findings of the SURE-HF trial may support implementation of urinary sodium-guided and ultrasound-assisted decongestive therapy in routine heart failure management.

The goal of this observational study is to learn how changes in urinary sodium and chloride levels relate to fluid overload and short-term outcomes in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure (AHF). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Do changes over time in urinary sodium and chloride reflect how well excess fluid is being removed during hospitalization? * Are these changes associated with residual congestion at discharge and with the risk of worsening heart failure or death after discharge? Participants hospitalized for AHF and treated with intravenous diuretics as part of their usual care will have clinical assessments, blood and urine tests, and echocardiographic evaluations collected at several time points during their hospital stay. Researchers will also record clinical outcomes, including worsening heart failure or death, at 30 days and 3 months after discharge.

This randomized controlled trial evaluates the effectiveness of two training approaches (in-person versus remote) for teaching medical residents to apply the Venous Excess Ultrasound (VExUS) score for bedside volume assessment in patients with acute heart failure. Resident performance will be compared to that of expert physicians certified in abdominal and duplex sonography.

In critical care, hemodynamic instability often requires volume expansion to restore tissue perfusion, increasing fluid balance and TBW, factors associated with higher mortality. Excess fluid leads to organ dysfunction due to venous congestion, making fluid removal crucial. When diuretics fail, RRT, typically through continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), is recommended. However, prescribing the correct level of UF is challenging; insufficient UF can worsen edema, while excessive UF risks hemodynamic instability. This pilot, single-center, prospective, interventional, randomized, controlled, open-label study includes two parallel groups: a standard group with UF prescribed by the physician based on clinical and hemodynamic status and an experimental group with UF guided by the extracellular to total body water (ECW/TBWat) ratio measured by BIA. The aim is to determine if ECW/TBW-guided UF improves fluid and TBW reduction over a 72-hour RRT period.

The investigators hypothesize that a simple assessment of peripheral venous pressure (PVP) will better predict the diuretic need and long-term outcomes (all cause mortality, all cause rehospitalization, emergency department visits) compared to standard evaluation.

The goal of this study is to test the accuracy of new blood and urine tests in people with heart failure. The main question it aims to answer is: \- Do new blood and urine tests correlate with fluid status? This will be determined by comparison to routine and gold-standard tests in a range of patients with heart failure.