Decompensated heart failure in the emergency department of a cardiology hospital.

Background: National studies on decompensated heart failure (DHF) are key to the understanding of this condition in our midst.

Objective: To determine the characteristics of DHF patients in an emergency department.

Methods: A total of 212 patients diagnosed with decompensated heart failure who had been admitted to an emergency department (EU) of a cardiology hospital were prospectively evaluated.