European journal of heart failure
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Mar 2009
Comparative StudyPathophysiological and clinical relevance of simplified monitoring of nocturnal breathing disorders in heart failure patients.
Nocturnal breathing disorders in the form of periodic breathing (PB) are very common in heart failure (HF) patients. There is an increasing interest in simple and affordable tools to screen patients and monitor these disorders at home on a long-term basis. We aimed to assess the pathophysiological and clinical relevance of a simplified method for monitoring of PB suitable to be self-managed by the patient at home. ⋯ Relevant pathophysiological and clinical information can be obtained from simplified monitoring of breathing disorders managed by the patient. These results provide new perspectives in the investigation of the clinical impact of abnormal breathing in HF patients.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Mar 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyLevosimendan vs. dobutamine: outcomes for acute heart failure patients on beta-blockers in SURVIVE.
Many chronic heart failure (CHF) patients take beta-blockers. When such patients are hospitalized for decompensation, it remains unclear how ongoing beta-blocker treatment will affect outcomes of acute inotrope therapy. We aimed to assess outcomes of SURVIVE patients who were on beta-blocker therapy before receiving a single intravenous infusion of levosimendan or dobutamine. ⋯ Levosimendan may be better than dobutamine for treating patients with a history of CHF or those on beta-blocker therapy when they are hospitalized with acute decompensations. These findings are preliminary but important for planning future studies.