Epidemiology and Prognostic of the Acute Heart Failure

Criteria of inclusion: * Patients hospitalized for acute heart failure or developing an acute heart failure during the hospitalisation in the intensive care, cardiology or geriatrics departments of the hospitals of Northeast of France during one year * Patients died in emergencies or during the transfer, with a diagnosis of acute heart failure. Acute heart failure includes decompensation of chronic heart failure, advanced stage of the heart failure, acute oedema of the lung and cardiogenic shock. According to the data of registers, the incidence of the acute heart failure in approximately 2,5 cases per 1000 adults per year, the expected sample size amounts to 2500 eligible patients over 1 year. Data collection: the doctors declare the Acute Heart Failure of their departments. The technicians of clinical research collect the data concerning the sociodemographic, clinical, biological and therapeutic characteristics of the inclusive patients on arrival at the hospital, during the hospitalisation and at the exit. The biological takings are made for the patients having given their consent before the exit of the hospitalization. The patients are followed up during 3 years.