Importance of Clinical Examination in the Assessment of Hemodynamic Profiles and Their Relationship with Outcomes in Patients with Acute Heart Failure

Cardiovascular diseases are the main causes of mortality in Brazil and worldwide and heart failure (HF) is one of the most prevalent causes of morbidity and mortality. In the last three months, we had a monthly average of 15,406 hospitalizations for HF in Brazil according to data collected in DATASUS. It is a public health concern due to its high morbidity, mortality, and cost associated with frequent hospitalizations. Therefore, it is of fundamental importance that the diagnosis is rapid so that treatment is effective.

The first Brazilian registry of acute HF included 1263 patients from 51 Brazilian centers. BREATH showed that the main etiologies are ischemic, hypertensive, and dilated cardiomyopathy, followed by valvular and Chagas disease. The prevalence of etiologies is similar to international records, except for Chagas disease. The main cause of rehospitalization was poor medication adherence, in addition, the study showed a high in-hospital mortality rate. Such a prevalent and fatal disease requires a careful and systematic approach to avoid failures during treatment.

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