Rossello X, et al. - Researchers investigated if the Barthel Index (BI) is valuable in predicting 30-day mortality risk among 9,098 acute heart failure patients from the Acute Heart Failure in Emergency Departments registry who had BI score available both at baseline and the Emergency Department (ED) visit. Findings suggest a strong predictive value of functional status assessed by the BI score at the ED visit for 30-day mortality in acute heart failure patients. The predictive value was noted to be higher than baseline BI score and acute functional decline. BI score recorded routinely at the ED visit may assist in decision making and health care planning.