Revista clínica española
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To ascertain whether internists know what limitation of therapeutic effort (LTE) means and whether training in palliative care affects this understanding. ⋯ Only 1 of every 4 internists knew the proper definition of LTE, with no association with level of training in palliative care.
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Revista clínica española · May 2021
Consensus on basic conduct during the hospital admission of patients with acute heart failure.
Acute heart failure (AHF) is a highly prevalent clinical entity in individuals older than 45years in Spain. AHF is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and is the leading cause of hospitalisation for individuals older than 65years in Spain, a quarter of whom die within 1year of the hospitalisation. ⋯ The aim of this document (developed by the Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillation Group of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine) is to guide specialists on the most important aspects of treatment and follow-up for patients with AHF during hospitalisation and the subsequent follow-up. The main recommendations listed in this document are as follows: (1)At admission, perform a comprehensive assessment, considering the patient's standard treatment and comorbidities, given that these determine the disease prognosis to a considerable measure. (2)During the first few hours of hospital care, decongestive treatment is a priority, and a staged diuretic therapeutic approach based on the patient's response is recommended. (3)To manage patients in the stable phase, consider starting and/or adjusting evidence-based drug treatment (e.g., sacubitril/valsartan or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensinII receptor blockers, beta blockers and aldosterone antagonists). (4)At hospital discharge, use a checklist to optimise the patient's management and identify the most efficient options for maintaining continuity of care after discharge.