This study assesses the potential of lung ultrasonography to diagnose heart failure.

Dyspnea is one of the most distressing situations for the patient . Emergency cases do not always present in conditions that are ideal for immediate diagnosis, which sometimes compromises outcome. Physical examination, laboratory findings and radiography are imperfect, resulting in a need for sophisticated test results that delay management.

Lung ultrasonography is becoming a standard tool in critical cases in the ED.

the investigators aim to perform ultrasonography on consecutive patients admitted to the ICU with dyspnea, comparing lung ultrasonography results on initial presentation with the final diagnosis by the nurses.

Three items were assessed: artifacts (horizontal A lines or vertical B lines indicating interstitial syndrome), lung sliding, and alveolar consolidation and/or pleural effusion, these items were grouped to assess ultrasound profiles.

the study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of B-lines testing assessed by emergency nurses after 12-h training in the diagnosis of HF in patients admitted to the emergency department with acute dyspnea.

Inclusion Criteria:

• non traumatic dyspnea with the final diagnosis of heart failure

Exclusion Criteria:

• age less than 18 years
• impossibility to give consent to participate in the study
• post-traumatic dyspnea
• pregnant women
• need for endotracheal intubation or inotropic drugs
• patients who were deemed too unstable for sonography by the treating team

A convenience sampling approach, including all patients admitted to the ED for acute dyspnea as chief complaint, was used.