CONTENTS

EDITORIAL
Sergio V. Perrone
Insuf Card 2010;5(2):49.
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ALGORITHM
Pulmonary hypertension - Treatment
Insuf Card 2010;5(2):50.
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OPINION ARTICLE
Echocardiography as a tool for the diagnosis and evaluation of patients with heart failure
Valentina M. Bichara, Jorge Tazar, Héctor O. Ventura
At clinical examination of the patient with suspected ischemic heart disease or heart failure, cardiovascular semiology, electrocardiogram and chest X-ray are the first step in the initial evaluation. The information of the patient’s hemodynamic status is one of the most important standards in the optimal management in chronic heart failure patients as well as in acute stage. Therefore, the usefulness of this method is one of the greatest advances in the diagnosis, management, optimization of treatment and monitoring of heart failure patients, to improve the prognosis of this disease.
Keywords: Heart failure - Echocardiography - Hemodynamics parameters - Treatment optimization
Insuf Card 2010;5(2):51-58.
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REVIEW ARTICLE (Original language)
Digoxin's roles in heart failure patients. An overview
Estêvão Lanna Figueiredo, Fabrício Pelluci Machado
Digitalis, particularly digoxin, have played an important role in the treatment of heart failure (HF) for over 200 years. In this review authors aim to look at the pharmacology of digoxin, studies on its benefits and risks in patients with moderate to severe systolic HF and diastolic HF also. It is expected to answer the following question: Is there still room for the use of digitalis in HF?
Keywords: Digitalis - Digoxin - Systolic heart failure - Diastolic heart failure
Insuf Card 2010;5(2):59-64.
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REVIEW ARTICLE (Spanish version)
Los roles de digoxina en pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca. Una revisión
Estêvão Lanna Figueiredo, Fabrício Pelluci Machado
Los digitálicos, y digoxina en particular, han jugado un papel importante en el tratamiento de la insuficiencia cardíaca (IC) por más de 200 años. Los autores buscan con esta revisión, contestar la siguiente pregunta: ¿existe todavía espacio para el uso de digitálicos en la IC?
Palabras clave: Digitálicos - Digoxina - Insuficiencia cardíaca sistólica - Insuficiencia cardíaca diastólica
Insuf Card 2010;5(2):65-71.
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REVIEW ARTICLE (Portuguese version)
Os Papéis da digoxina em pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca. Uma revisão geral
Estêvão Lanna Figueiredo, Fabrício Pelluci Machado
Os digitais, e a digoxina em especial, têm desempenhado papel importante no tratamento da insuficiência cardíaca (IC) há mais de 200 anos. Esta revisão procura contemplar a farmacologia da digoxina, os estudos sobre seus benefícios e riscos em pacientes com IC sistólica moderada a grave e também na IC diastólica. Os autores buscam com esta revisão, responder à seguinte questão: ¿ainda existe espaço para o uso de digitais na IC?
Palavras chave: Digitais - Digoxina - Insuficiência cardíaca sistólica - Insuficiência cardíaca diastólica
Insuf Card 2010;5(2):72-78.
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REVIEW ARTICLE
Biomechanics of cardiac-circulatory assistance
John Bustamante, Javier Valbuena
Since the transplant as standard procedure for heart failure treatment was established, the few donors’ availability turned into biggest limitation in view of the increasing demand. This situation, concomitant with the relevant results obtained with mechanical cardiac-circulatory assist devices (MCCAD), promoted the use of these devices as an option so much to improve the survive as the quality of life of the patients with advanced heart failure. Unfortunately, the advances achieved in the treatment of the heart failure with the mechanical devices have been evaluated only in the physiological environment, leaving of side the biomechanical aspect. It is fundamental to do an integral analysis of this cardiac therapy, which includes the biomechanical environment, to understand its functionality and to make use of the potential that these medical devices have showed in the cardiac-circulatory assistance.
Keywords: Heart failure - Cardiac-circulatory assistance - Mechanical devices - Biomechanics
Insuf Card 2010;5(2):79-91.
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IV WEEKEND ON HEART FAILURE AND PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
Heart failure and cardiorenal syndrome
Diego F. Echazarreta
Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is manifested as a clinical condition that involves the participation of both organs, its deleterious effects are enhanced so that the renal and myocardial damage progresses rapidly, complicating their treatment. The CRS may be an association by the coexistence of cardiovascular risk factors with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or by a direct effect of cardiac damage on kidney damage or vice versa. However, the most likely scenario is that there is a common pathophysiological link between them through the endothelial injury. The identification of patients at risk, the development of common protocols and secondary prevention are the cornerstones that enable us to avoid further complications in this subgroup of patients.
Keywords: Heart failure - Cardiorenal syndrome - Risk stratification - Kidney failure
Insuf Card 2010;5(2):92-96.
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IMAGES IN HEART FAILURE
Heart failure in non-compacted cardiomyopathy: improvement after cardiac resynchronization therapy. Report of a case images
Sergio V. Perrone, Ricardo Ronderos, Mario Embón, Jorge González Zuelgaray
Report of a case of a 36 years-old female patient who presents palpitations and dyspnea, with heart failure due to non-compacted cardiomyopathy and severe left ventricular systolic deterioration. A cardiac resynchronization therapy device with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator device was installed. One year after placement of the device, the patient is asymptomatic with clear improvement of echocardiographic parameters.
Keywords: Heart failure - Myocardial noncompaction - Cardiac resynchronization - Cardioverter - Echocardiography
Insuf Card 2010;5(2):97-101.
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EVENT NEWS
VI Venezuelan Congress of Heart Failure and II Latin-American Congress of Heart Failure
Nora C. López
Insuf Card 2010;5(2):102.
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