CHIEF classification
The CHIEF classification is a veterinary classification of heart disease in domestic dogs . It was proposed in 2006 by the Canine Heart Failure International Expert Forum (CHIEF). In contrast to the NYHA classification adopted from human medicine and the ISACHC classification , the CHIEF classification already takes into account risk factors without a heart disease being present.
Classes
According to the CHIEF classification, cardiac patients are classified into four classes:
| stage | definition |
|---|---|
| A. | Risk of heart disease (genetic predisposition, other underlying diseases) |
| B. | Heart disease without clinical signs of heart failure , heart enlargement possible |
| C. | Heart failure with previous or existing symptoms |
| C1 | stable heart failure with previous symptoms |
| C2 | Heart failure with mild to moderate symptoms |
| C3 | Heart failure with severe, life-threatening symptoms |
| D. | Heart failure that no longer responds to medication, only life-saving measures |
It is possible that a downgrade can be made within class C. If a dog responds successfully to drug therapy and no longer shows any clinical symptoms, it can be classified as C1 again from C2 or C3.
No therapy is recommended for class A, but regular controls using sonography and electrocardiograms are recommended . Therapy is also not mandatory for class B patients; it is only indicated on a case-by-case basis for dilated cardiomyopathy .
literature
- Binke Dürr: On the CHIEF classification of heart failure in dogs. In: Fachpraxis 33 (2009), pp. 4–5.
- Binke Dürr: Management of Dog Heart Failure: Diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations based on the CHIEF classification. In: Fachpraxis 33 (2009), pp. 6-7.
