Evaluation of heart failure patients: objective parameters to assess functional capacity.
Measures of disease severity used in the evaluation of patients with heart failure include survival data, the New York Heart Association classification, ejection fraction, functional assessments, exercise protocols, rest and exercise hemodynamic data, and biochemical parameters including catecholamine levels and serum sodium. Clinicians must integrate these multiple variables into an overall assessment. An overview of the clinical application of these techniques in the evaluation and treatment of patients with heart failure is presented.
Mills
R M
RM
University of Florida, College of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.
Haught
W H
WH
D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D005080:Exercise Test; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
D002395:Catecholamines; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D012964:Sodium