Rev Cardiovasc Med
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Heart failure is a leading cause of hospitalization for adults in the United States. Patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) face a substantial risk of in-hospital mortality and rehospitalization. Despite the large number of patients hospitalized and this substantial risk, data on these patients have been limited and there has been little effort to improve the quality of care for patients hospitalized with ADHF. ⋯ As such, there are substantial opportunities to improve the quality of care for ADHF patients in the nation's hospitals. The ADHERE Hospital Toolkit has been designed to provide hospital teams with effective proactive instruments to improve the quality of care for patients with ADHF. If successfully implemented, the improvements in short- and long-term clinical outcomes for ADHF patients are expected to be substantial.
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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and congestive heart failure (CHF) are epidemiologically and pathophysiologically linked. A recent study in patients with severe CHF demonstrated that renal plasma flow was inversely correlated with pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, right atrial pressure, pulmonary pressure, and right ventricular ejection fraction. This article reviews the utility of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in assessing cardiac function and volume status in patients with CKD and examines the safety and efficacy of BNP therapy in patients with renal insufficiency and decompensated heart failure.
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Case Reports
Transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation of perioperative systolic murmur in aortic pathology.
Development of a new systolic murmur in patients following a Bental procedure with a prosthetic or homograft aortic valve usually indicates an aortic valve-related complication. Here, we report new etiologies of a loud systolic murmur in patients with aortic disease. One patient developed a new loud systolic murmur as an initial manifestation of acute type A aortic dissection without any complication, and two patients developed a loud systolic murmur as the major manifestation of aortic graft failure following aortic root surgery. Auscultation of a new loud systolic murmur in the upper chest in patients with known aortic disease should alert one to a complication within the ascending aorta.
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Over the past decade, there have been a number of studies of the use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in patients with respiratory failure, including that associated with acute congestive heart failure (CHF). Many of these studies have focused on using NIV in an effort to avoid endotracheal intubation, with its associated complications and costs. Most studies have been small, retrospective, and not well focused on the CHF population. ⋯ Though BLPAP has theoretical advantages over CPAP, there are questions regarding its safety in a setting of CHF. The key to success in using NIV to treat severe CHF is proper patient selection, close patient monitoring, proper application of the technology, and objective therapeutic goals. When used appropriately, NIV can be a useful adjunct in the treatment of a subset of patients with acute CHF at risk for endotracheal intubation.
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For the acutely ill patient presenting to the emergency department with dyspnea, an incorrect diagnosis could place the patient at risk for both morbidity and mortality. The stimulus for B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) release is a change in left-ventricular wall stretch and volume overload. A rapid, whole-blood BNP assay (Triage BNP Test, Biosite Inc, San Diego, CA) that allows quick evaluation of the dyspneic patient has recently been approved by the U. ⋯ Algorithms are being developed for use in the emergency department that take into account other illnesses that might raise BNP levels. BNP levels should be extremely important in ruling out and diagnosing decompensated CHF, as long as baseline "euvolemic" BNP values are known. Finally, in addition to helping assess whether a dyspneic patient has heart failure, BNP levels may also be useful in making both triage and management decisions.