Heart failure in the observation unit / W. Frank Peacock -- The out-of-hospital management of acute heart failure / Marvin A. Wayne and Vincent N. Mosesso Jr. -- Observation unit admission inclusion and exclusion criteria / Sean P. Collins -- Acute exacerbations of heart failure: initial evaluation and management in the acute care setting / Douglas S. Ander -- The process and economics of heart failure / Sandra Sieck -- Observation unit: treatment protocols / J. Douglas Kirk -- Drugs that should not be used in the observation unit management of heart failure: the adverse effects of selected drugs / Harischandra B. Karunaratne, Arti N. Bhavsar, and Nicole Rosenke -- Performance measurement, staffing, and facilities requirements for observation unit heart failure management / Nancy M. Albert -- Emergency department and observation unit discharge criteria / Deborah B. Diercks -- The essentials of patient education in the emergency department / Robin J. Trupp and Elsie M. Selby -- Discharge planning for heart failure in the short stay unit / Ginger A. Conway -- Chronic heart failure management: drugs recommended for routine use / Robert J. Stomel and Majid Qazi.