Right heart failure medical therapy
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Right heart failure Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Right heart failure medical therapy On the Web |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Treatment of the underlying cause of right heart failure is the mainstay of therapy.
Pulmonary embolism
In pulmonary embolism, thrombolysis (enzymatic dissolution of the blood clot) is advocated if there is dysfunction of the right ventricle. In COPD, long-term oxygen therapy may improve cor pulmonale.
Cor pulmonale may lead to congestive heart failure (CHF), with worsening of respiration due to pulmonary edema, swelling of the legs due to peripheral edema and painful congestive hepatomegaly. This situation requires diuretics (to decrease strain on the heart), sometimes nitrates (to improve blood flow), phosphodiesterase inhibitors like Sildenafil, tadalafil and occasionally inotropes (to improve heart contractility). CHF is a negative prognostic indicator in cor pulmonale.