Once a diagnosis of heart failure has been made, the severity of symptoms and level of incapacity can be categorised according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. This classification recognises four classes in which symptoms increase in severity, increasingly limiting the ability of patients to undertake normal daily activities.
Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure, European Society of Cardiology. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic heart failure. Eur Heart J 2001;22:1527-60. See the Additional Information box for more information on the NHYA classification.
The practice nurse:
“I think he has heart failure, these are his red flags. What do I do next?”
Summary of Raza’s red flag symptoms.
- breathlessness
- lethargy
- orthopnoea
- tachycardia
- weight gain
- raised JVP
Pulse point
Consider Raza’s symptoms, what NYHA Class do you think he would be?
What do the National Guidelines recommend?
SIGN Guideline 147: Management of chronic heart failure.PDF
NICE Guideline NG106: Chronic heart failure in adults: diagnosis and management
European Society of Cardiology: Acute and Chronic Heart Failure Guidelines
What is your local guideline/pathway?
Page last reviewed: 28 Jul 2020
