Abstract

BICHARA, Valentina M.; TAZAR, Jorge  and  VENTURA, Héctor O.. Echocardiography as a tool for the diagnosis and evaluation of patients with heart failure. Insuf. card. [online]. 2010, vol.5, n.2, pp.51-58. ISSN 1852-3862.

In the 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. In recent years, the evolution of echocardiographic techniques has demonstrated that this method of low cost, noninvasive, applied to several cardiovascular diseases can make a diagnosis and appropriate monitoring of these patients. Also optimize the management and treatment can provide better results. At the moment of evaluation in heart failure patients is essential to assess structure, cardiac function and hemodynamics parameters markers of evolution of this disease. 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.

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