title: Urgent cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with decompensated chronic heart failure receiving inotropic therapy. A case series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It remains unknown whether patients with severe decompensated class IV heart failure (HF) receiving intravenous inotropic treatment benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified patients who underwent urgent CRT implantation due to decompensated class IV HF necessitating intravenous inotropic therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 10 patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy (median QRS duration of 170 ms), CRT implantation was associated with symptomatic improvement in 8 patients. The mortality rate was 50% during a median follow-up of 9.5 months, with a median CRT-to-death duration of 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CRT was feasible among class IV patients receiving inotropic treatment and was associated with clinical improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Rabin Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Petah-Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Konstantino
authors.forename: Zaza
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Iakobishvili
authors.forename: Orna
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Arad
authors.forename: Tuvia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ben-Gal
authors.forename: Jairo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kusniec
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazur
authors.forename: Avital
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Strasberg
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Battler
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hasdai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents