Aust Prescr
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Heart failure is an increasingly prevalent condition resulting in recurrent hospitalisations and significant mortality and morbidity. The management of heart failure has evolved, and multiple drugs have an established mortality benefit in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. ⋯ Clinicians play a key role in heart failure management. Familiarity with the role of diuretics and their dosing and monitoring is critical.
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Getting children to take medicines can be difficult. There is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach. ⋯ There are different ways to alter the taste, aftertaste and mouth feel of medicines, which may help improve palatability. Pharmacists or medicines information services can assist with advice on suitable formulations or methods of administration.
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Long-term hypertension control in the community significantly reduces cardiovascular risk. However, the benefit of controlling acute elevations of blood pressure in hospitalised patients is unclear. In-hospital elevations of blood pressure are relatively common and might not reflect poorly controlled blood pressure before admission. ⋯ However, it may increase the risk of in-hospital and post-discharge complications. Pending the development of robust inpatient measurement protocols, acute blood pressure elevations in hospitalised patients should not routinely require antihypertensive treatment in the absence of symptoms or acute end-organ damage. Rather, such elevations should facilitate follow-up of blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors after discharge.