title: Acute decompensated heart failure: contemporary medical management.
abstract: Hospitalizations for acute decompensated heart failure are increasing in the United States. Moreover, the prevalence of heart failure is increasing consequent to an increased number of older individuals, as well as to improvement in therapies for coronary artery disease and sudden cardiac death that have enabled patients to live longer with cardiovascular disease. The main treatment goals in the hospitalized patient with heart failure are to restore euvolemia and to minimize adverse events. Common in-hospital treatments include intravenous diuretics, vasodilators, and inotropic agents. Novel pharmaceutical agents have shown promise in the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure and may simplify the treatment and reduce the morbidity associated with the disease. This review summarizes the contemporary management of patients with acute decompensated heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: Ari M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cedars
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ewald
authors.forename: Edward M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Geltman
authors.forename: Douglas L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Mann
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006440:Hemofiltration; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D004232:Diuretics; D014665:Vasodilator Agents