New concepts and drugs in the treatment of congestive heart failure.
This article seeks to make clear the basic differences in the treatment of heart failure between therapeutic maneuvers that are aimed at improving the mechanical loading conditions of the heart and those that are aimed at augmenting the fundamental contractile or inotropic state of the myocardium. Emphasis is placed on recognizing that treatment expectations must be viewed within an age- or maturity-dependent framework, since a diminished margin of cardiocirculatory reserve exists in the smallest and youngest patients that limits the extent of benefit that may be derived from diverse treatment approaches.
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002496:Central Venous Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents