title: Nitroprusside in decompensated heart failure: what should a clinician really know?
abstract: Sodium nitroprusside is an older intravenous vasodilator appropriate for acute hospital treatment of patients with congestive heart failure. It is a balanced arterial and venous vasodilator with a very short half-life, facilitating rapid titration. In general, it improves hemodynamic and clinical status by reducing systemic vascular resistance, left ventricular filling pressure, and increasing cardiac output. This review summarizes recently published literature and recent data regarding the use of this intravenous vasodilator in decompensated heart failure patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Pavia, Italy. cristina.opasich@fsm.it
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Opasich
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cioffi
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gualco
mesh_terms: D002302:Cardiac Output; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009599:Nitroprusside