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Dyspnea is a common presenting complaint that is associated with a broad range of differential diagnoses. Acute decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF) and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) might have similar characteristics in the early stages and be difficult to distinguish. Thus, patients with dyspnea occasionally are treated for both conditions in the prehospital setting and emergency department. To examine outcomes associated with bronchodilator therapy in patients with acute decompensated CHF, researchers retrospectively analyzed data from the Acute Decompensated Heart Failure National Registry Emergency Module.
Of the nearly 11,000 patients in the registry who had an ED or hospital discharge diagn…