For many years, there has been a great deal of work done on chronic congestive heart failure while acute heart failure has been considered a difficult to handle and hopeless syndrome. However, in recent years acute heart failure has become a growing area of study and this is the first book to cover extensively the diagnosis and management of this complex condition. The book reflects the considerable amounts of new data reported and many new concepts which have been proposed in the last 3-4 years looking at the epidemiology, diagnostic and treatment of acute heart failure.

This practical manual seeks to address the need for broader, better management guidelines for end-stage heart disease. It contains both standard, time-tested methods, as well as more current, cutting-edge alternatives. There are medical therapies that utilize positive inotropic agents, adrenergic blocking agents and other drugs; surgical options, such as revascularization and valve surgery; myocardial replacement therapies that restore function through ventricular assist devices, flow pumps and artificial hearts; and myocardial enhancement therapies, including dynamic cardiomyoplasty and ventriculectomy.

This open access book presents a comprehensive overview of dilated cardiomyopathy, providing readers with practical guidelines for its clinical management. The first part of the book analyzes in detail the disease’s pathophysiology, its diagnostic work up as well as the prognostic stratification, and illustrates the role of genetics and gene-environment interaction. The second part presents current and future treatment options, highlighting the importance of long-term and individualized treatments and follow-up. Furthermore, it discusses open issues, such as the apparent healing phenomenon, the early prognosis of arrhythmic events or the use of genetic testing in clinical practice. Offering a multidisciplinary approach for optimizing the clinical management of DCM, this book is an invaluable aid not only for the clinical cardiologists, but for all physicians involved in the care of this challenging disease.

This book is a detailed practical guide to the use of ventricular assist devices and total artificial hearts to provide mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in patients with end-stage heart failure. It explains why MCS may be indicated, which patients require MCS, when and how to implant ventricular assist devices or a total artificial heart, and how to avoid potential complications of MCS. Management throughout the period of care is described, from preimplantation to follow-up, and both typical and atypical cases are discussed. The text features numerous helpful tips and tricks relating to surgical and nonsurgical management and is supported by a wealth of high-quality illustrations that document the preoperative evaluation and implantation techniques. Heart transplantation remains the gold standard for the treatment of patients suffering from end-stage heart failure, but the shortage of donors has led to an increase in the use of MCS. This book will assist all physicians, and especially cardiologists and anesthesiologists, who are involved in the care of these patients.

This updated and revised edition of the classic bedside pocket reference remains the gold standard in critical care medicine. The new edition maintains Dr. Marik's trademark humor and engaging writing style, while adding numerous references.

End-of-life issues in cardiology are becoming increasingly important in the management of patients in the cardiac unit, but there is frequently a lack of understanding regarding their impact on cardiology practice. The cardiac unit is increasingly becoming the location whereby a number of key clinical decisions relating to end-of-life care are being made, such as the decision to remove medications, the appropriate removal of cardiac devices, the management of do not resuscitate orders and the requirement for other cardiac procedures in light of the management of the terminally ill cardiac patients. Those working in palliative care need input from the cardiovascular team as the cardiologist is frequently still managing these patients until they are moved to the hospice. That this move into a hospice is often delayed until the very last moment, there is considerable onus on the cardiovascular management of these patients to be much broader in scope and take account of some of the more palliative medical decisions needed in this group of patients. This concise reference will detail the practical issues open to cardiovascular physicians and those medical professionals who manage patients reaching the end of their life from a cardiology perspective. It will detail the full management options open to them to ensure that their practice is in line with the requirements of the patient nearing the end of their life whether the cause be cardiovascular in origin or who need appropriate management of secondary cardiovascular symptoms. It will also include the various ethical, cultural and geographical issues that need to be considered when managing these patients.

The first book of its kind, this reference describes current diagnostic and treatment strategies for acute and chronic heart failure in the fetus, neonate, child, and young adult-encompassing every aspect of pediatric heart failure including historical perspectives, the latest technologies in mechanical circulatory support, and recent information on the psychosocial aspects of heart failure in children.