Heart Failure

Book excerpt: This is a highly visual, case-based approach that covers the spectrum of the clinical presentation of heart failure. Each chapter revolves around one or more cases that best represent the diagnosis and treatment of a specific type of heart failure. The book encompasses newly diagnosed cases of heart failure, optimizing therapy for patients with known heart failure, heart failure associated with a variety of cardiac diseases, and heart failure in patients with systemic diseases. Authors also address the rapidly expanding field of familial-based cardiomyopathies and the difficult task of determining prognosis. The newly diagnosed cases of heart failure include non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, post-myocardial infarction heart failure, tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation as a cause of heart failure, and manifestations of diastolic dysfunction causing heart failure. The section on optimizing therapy for patients with chronic heart failure encompasses treatment for an initially stabilized patient who begins to decline and presents with an acute exacerbation; treating patients with devices such as defibrillators, resynchronization pacemaker systems, or both; and actions that can be taken when, despite the full gamut of treatment, a patient is still symptomatic or gradually declining. Included is a discussion of hemodynamic optimization and advanced therapy for end-stage failure. Additionally, the book covers in depth procedures for determining prognosis and evaluating familial disease; and includes descriptions of medications commonly used for heart failure. Chapters are consistently formatted to include an overview of underlying pathophysiology, presentation of the representative ìteachingî case, and a discussion of optimal management including assessment of current evidence and guidelines. The book also features video loops of select procedures, available online. KEY FEATURES: Over thirty expert authors offer a practical, visual approach to common but complex management problems in heart failure Demonstrates real-world clinical management decisions and applications of current guidelines and evidence through case presentations Discusses assessment and treatment of newly diagnosed and chronic cases of heart failure Addresses heart failure associated with the gamut of cardiac diseases and in patients with systemic diseases Provides links to video loops of select procedures