Heart Failure

This condition is treated in the Cardiology clinic.

Emergency Referral Criteria

Criteria for Emergency include: 

Acute or chronic heart failure with any of the following concerning features:

• Unable to carry on any physical activity without discomfort
• Symptoms of heart failure present at rest
• Ongoing chest pain
• Oxygen saturation less than 90 per cent
• Signs of acute pulmonary oedema
• Haemodynamic instability: 
  • pre-syncope/syncope/severe dizziness
  • altered level of consciousness
  • heart-rate greater than 120 beats per minute
  • systolic BP less than 90mmHg 
• Significant pulmonary or pedal oedema
• Recent myocardial infarction (within 2 weeks)
• Pregnant patient 
• Signs of myocarditis
• Signs of acute decompensated heart failure

If you, or someone else, are experiencing a serious and life-threatening injury or illness call triple zero (000) immediately or go to the nearest Emergency Department.

Learn more about when to access emergency care and non-emergency care options if the injury or illness is not serious or life-threatening.

Statewide Referral Criteria (SRC)

Criteria for referral to public hospital specialist clinic services

? Red flags are clinical indicators of possible serious underlying conditions requiring further medical intervention. They may or may not indicate an emergency.

Urgent (Category 1)

• Newly diagnosed heart failure with worsening symptoms but without any Emergency Referral Criteria concerning features
• Established heart failure on medical therapy with clinical signs of decompensation but without any Emergency Referral Criteria concerning features 

Semi-urgent (Category 2)

• Established heart failure on medical therapy with worsening symptoms but without clinical signs of decompensation or any Emergency Referral Criteria concerning features
• Suspected or newly diagnosed Left Ventricular dysfunction with minimal/no symptoms or clinical evidence of decompensation

Routine (Category 3)

• Patients with established heart failure on optimal medical therapy requiring specialist review

Information to be included in the referral

(Referral may be returned without this)

Essential supporting information

Pathology

• FBC
• UEC
• LFT
• Lipids
• HbA1c (if diabetic)
• TSH

Imaging

• Chest x-ray report

Investigations/other

• ECG
• most recent echocardiogram - if available

Additional information

• BP
• Weight, height, BMI
• Recent fluctuations in weight indicative of cardia dysfunction (if known)
• New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. 

Interim/GP management

To refer a patient with this condition, please see the Cardiology clinic page for the full referral process and templates.

Additional information which may assist triage:

• Sleep study report if OSA suspected
• Stress test report (if performed)
• Investigations relevant to co-morbidities
• Respiratory function tests if patient a smoker, has COPD or asthma
• BNP or NT-pro-BNP results (consider BNP for diagnostic dilemma, provide old results if available)
• History of smoking, alcohol intake and drug use (including recreational drugs)
• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or Maori/Pacific Islander/Refugee status (increased risk of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease)
• Iron studies

Interim management advice for heart failure can be found at HealthPathways Tasmania

For more information please see HealthPathways Tasmania

Additional resources

Heart Failure Nurse Practitioner contact details:
Phone: 03 6166 7398

View all clinic availability