Informs cardiology, intensive care, and emergency medicine physicians on the diagnosis and management of severe acute heart failure. This book represents a joint effort from internationally known cardiologists and intensivists to set up a single reference resource, appropriate for practice both in Europe and the US.

For many years, there has been a great deal of work done on chronic congestive heart failure while acute heart failure has been considered a difficult to handle and hopeless syndrome. However, in recent years acute heart failure has become a growing area of study. There has been considerable amounts of new data reported and many new concepts have been proposed in the last 3-4 years looking at the epidemiology, diagnostic and treatment of acute heart failure.

Part 1: AHFS: From Epidemiology to Clinical Practice.- Epidemiology and Definitions.-The Transition from Normal Physiology to Pathophysiology.- Cardiac Level.- Cellular and Organ System Level.- Clinical Scenarios.- Acute Myocardial Dysfunction.- Right Ventricular Dysfunction.- AHFS and Coexisting Disease.- AHFS in the Extreme Ages.-Part 2: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management of Severe AHFS.- Procedures and Technology.- Treatment of AHFS: Airway and Lung Management.- Treatment of AHFS: Fluid Management.- Treatment of AHFS: Cardiovascular Management.- Vasodilators.-Positive Inotropes and Vasopressors.- Novel Cardiovascular Therapy for AHFS.- Specific ICU Management of AHFS.- Anesthesia and Surgical Management of AHFS.- Management of Organ Dysfunction Associated with AHFS.- Rescue Management in AHFS.- AHFS Management in HF Clinics.- Impact of Guidelines and Regulatory Views on AHFS Treatment.