This book provides a road map for defining the care of acute heart failure (HF) patients in the short stay or observation unit setting. Supported by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care, a quality improvement organization that trains and accredits over 1,000 hospitals for heart failure, chest pain, and atrial fibrillation management, it presents a description of the problem, defines the measures of success, elucidates the implementation of interventions required to be successful, and provides the tools to insure quality HF management. Fully updated and revised, the Third Edition discusses administrative and regulatory issues relating to HF management; pathophysiology and demographics of acute HF; emergency department assessment and treatment of acute HF; admission, treatment, and disposition of acute heart failure in short stay units; and resources such as clinical pathways, algorithms, and patient education tools that can be directly utilized in various healthcare settings. Short Stay Management of Acute Heart Failure, Third Edition, is an essential guide for cardiologists, emergency physicians, and hospital administrators, as well as for institutions wishing to be recognized as quality heart failure centers.