The Killip classification is a system used in individuals with an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), taking into account physical examination and the development of heart failure in order to predict and stratify their risk of mortality.
[1] The study was a case series with unblinded, unobjective outcomes, not adjusted for confounding factors, nor validated in an independent set of patients.
[clarification needed][citation needed] Within a 95% confidence interval the patient outcome was as follows:[1] The Killip-Kimball classification has played a fundamental role in classic cardiology, having been used as a stratifying criterion for many other studies.
Worsening Killip class has been found to be independently associated with increasing mortality in several studies.
Killip class 1 and no evidence of hypotension or bradycardia, in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome, should be considered for immediate IV beta blockade.