Clinical Correlates of Hemoconcentration During Hospitalization for Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 1018-1022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Davila ◽  
Alex Reyentovich ◽  
Stuart D. Katz
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Acute Decompensated Heart Failure ◽  
Decompensated Heart Failure ◽  
Clinical Correlates

Assessing Acute Decompensated Heart Failure – Strategies and Tools

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
Ali Vazir ◽  
Martin R Cowie ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Acute Decompensated Heart Failure ◽  
Pulse Contour Analysis ◽  
Decompensated Heart Failure ◽  
Rapid Onset ◽  
Clinical Syndrome ◽  
Response To Therapy ◽  
Contour Analysis ◽  
Physiological Variables ◽  
Co Morbidity

Acute heart failure – the rapid onset of, or change in, signs and/or symptoms of heart failure requiring urgent treatment – is a serious clinical syndrome, associated with high mortality and healthcare costs. History, physical examination and early 2D and Doppler echocardiography are crucial to the proper assessment of patients, and will help determine the appropriate monitoring and management strategy. Most patients are elderly and have considerable co-morbidity. Clinical assessment is key to monitoring progress, but a number of clinical techniques – including simple Doppler and echocardiographic tools, pulse contour analysis and impedance cardiography – can help assess the response to therapy. A pulmonary artery catheter is not a routine monitoring tool, but can be very useful in patients with complex physiology, in those who fail to respond to therapy as would be anticipated, or in those being considered for mechanical intervention. As yet, the serial measurement of plasma natriuretic peptides is of limited value, but it does have a role in diagnosis and prognostication. Increasingly, the remote monitoring of physiological variables by completely implanted devices is possible, but the place of such technology in clinical practice is yet to be clearly established.

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