Acute heart failure is one of the main diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in clinical practice due to a non-specific clinical manifestation and the urgent need for timely and tailored management at the same time. In this position statement, the Heart Failure Association aims to systematize the use of various imaging methods in accordance with the timeline of acute heart failure care proposed in the recent guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology. During the first hours of admission the point-of-care focused cardiac and lung ultrasound examination is an invaluable tool for rapid differential diagnosis of acute dyspnoea, which is highly feasible and relatively easy to learn. Several portable and stationary imaging modalities are being increasingly used for the evaluation of cardiac structure and function, haemodynamic and volume status, precipitating myocardial ischaemia or valvular abnormalities, and systemic and pulmonary congestion. This paper emphasizes the central role of the full echocardiographic examination in the identification of heart failure aetiology, severity of cardiac dysfunction, indications for specific heart failure therapy, and risk stratification. Correct evaluation of cardiac filling pressures and accurate prognostication may help to prevent unscheduled short-term readmission. Alternative advanced imaging modalities should be considered to assist patient management in the pre- and post-discharge phase, including cardiac magnetic resonance, computed tomography, nuclear studies, and coronary angiography. The Heart Failure Association addresses this paper to the wide spectrum of acute care and heart failure specialists, highlighting the value of all available imaging techniques at specific stages and in common clinical scenarios of acute heart failure.

中文翻译：

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疑似急性心力衰竭患者的影像学：代表欧洲心脏病学会心力衰竭协会的时间表方法立场声明。

急性心力衰竭是临床实践中主要的诊断和治疗挑战之一，原因是临床表现不明确，并且迫切需要同时进行及时和量身定制的管理。在此立场声明中，心力衰竭协会旨在根据欧洲心脏病学会最新指南中提出的急性心力衰竭治疗时间表，系统化使用各种成像方法。在入院的最初几个小时，以现场护理为重点的心脏和肺部超声检查是快速鉴别急性呼吸困难的宝贵工具，这种方法高度可行且相对容易学习。越来越多的便携式和固定式成像方式被用于评估心脏的结构和功能，血流动力学和体积状态，加剧心肌缺血或瓣膜异常，以及全身和肺部充血。本文强调了全面超声心动图检查在确定心力衰竭病因，心功能不全的严重程度，特定心力衰竭治疗的适应症以及危险分层方面的核心作用。正确评估心脏充盈压和准确的预后可能有助于防止计划外的短期再入院。在出院前和出院后阶段，应考虑使用其他高级成像方式以协助患者管理，包括心脏磁共振，计算机断层扫描，核研究和冠状动脉造影。心力衰竭协会向众多急诊和心力衰竭专家致辞，