Cor Vasa 2008, 50(4):177-182 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2008.058

Managing acute heart failure.

Jindřich Špinar¹, Ivan Málek²

¹ Interní kardiologická klinika, Fakultní nemocnice Brno-Bohunice a Lékařská fakulta Masarykovy univerzity, Brno

² Klinika kardiologie, Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, Praha, Česká republika

Acute heart failure is a condition associated with high mortality rates and one difficult to treat. As no large mortality studies demonstrating an effect of treatment on survival have been reported, treatment is based on experience and is largely empirical. Factors central to the decision regarding the therapy to be used include the patient s clinical condition and the cause of heart failure. The main class of drugs used in pharmacotherapy are diuretics, with vasodilators used in patients with a hypertensive response while, conversely, positive inotropic agents are administered to those with hypotension.
All these modes of action are combined in levosimedan, a calcium sensitizer. Drug therapy is usually complemented with mechanical ventilation, and/or methods of elimination. Some patients require surgery, and various support systems have emerged recently, which hold promise for the most critically ill.

Keywords: Acute heart failure; Diuretics; Vasodilators; Inotropic agents; Levosimendan

Published: April 1, 2008  Show citation