title: Beta-blocker use in decompensated heart failure.
abstract: Despite the current advances in treatment, acute decompensated heart failure accounts for more than 1 million hospital admissions annually. Many of the patients hospitalized are already receiving long-term treatment with beta-blockers. For patients who receive full dose beta-blocker therapy and suffer acute decompensated heart failure, clinicians face two key questions: what to do, if anything, with the dosage of beta-blocker and what is the best way to integrate inotropic and beta-blocker therapies for patients who require inotropes. This article discusses these issues and reviews the available literature. Because these topics have received little systematic evaluation, we also present our clinical approaches to these problems.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, UHN-62, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Rami
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alharethi
authors.forename: Ray E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hershberger
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists