title: Management of oral chronic pharmacotherapy in patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure.
abstract: Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is the most common cause of cardiovascular hospitalization. The presentation is characterized by different clinical profiles due to various underlying causes, volume balance and tissue perfusion status. Currently, a variety of pharmacological therapies, including diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE-inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and digoxin, are usually prescribed in order to treat chronic heart failure (HF) syndromes caused by left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Despite the large number of HF patients with frequent hospitalizations for decompensation, only a few studies have evaluated the management of oral chronic therapies in the clinical setting of ADHF. This article summarizes the information derived from the few published trials on this subject and a therapeutic approach is suggested with respect to the continuation, dose modification or suspension of oral medications.
authors.affiliation: Heart Failure Unit, Cardiology Department, Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital, Piacenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piepoli
authors.affiliation: Heart Failure Unit, Cardiology Department, Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital, Piacenza, Italy; Cardiorenal Research Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Parma University School of Medicine, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Binno
authors.affiliation: Heart Failure Unit, Cardiology Department, Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital, Piacenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni Quinto
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Villani
authors.affiliation: Cardiorenal Research Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Parma University School of Medicine, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: aderville.cabassi@unipr.it.
authors.forename: Aderville
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabassi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019468:Disease Management; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents
keywords: ACE-inhibitors; Acute decompensated heart failure; Angiotensin receptor blockers; Diuretics beta-blockers; Oral therapy