The risk of death in the first year after diagnosis is about 35%, while the risk of death in the second year is less than 10% in those still alive. The risk of death is comparable to that of some cancers. In the United Kingdom, the disease is the reason for 5% of emergency hospital admissions. Heart failure has been known since ancient times, it is mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus around 1550 BCE. Definition
Heart failure is not a disease but a syndrome - a combination of signs and symptoms caused by the failure of the heart to pump blood to support the circulatory system at rest or during activity. It develops when the heart fails to properly fill with blood during diastole, resulting in a decrease in intracardiac pressures or in ejection during systole, reducing cardiac output to the rest of the body. The filling failure and high intracardiac pressure can lead to fluid accumulation in the veins and tissue. This manifests as water retention and swelling due to fluid accumulation (edema) called congestion. Impaired ejection can lead to inadequate blood flow to the body tissues, resulting in ischemia. Signs and symptoms
Congestive heart failure is a pathophysiological condition in which the hearts output is insufficient to meet the needs of the body and lungs. The term "congestive heart failure" is often used because one of the most common symptoms is congestion or fluid accumulation in the tissues and veins of the lungs or other parts of a persons body.
Dexmedetomidine, sold under the trade name Precedex among others, is a medication used for sedation. It is also used to treat acute agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar I or II disorder.Similar to clonidine, it is a sympatholytic drug that acts as an agonist of α2-adrenergic receptors in certain parts of the brain. Veterinarians use dexmedetomidine for similar purposes in treating cats, dogs, and horses. It was developed by Orion Pharma. Medical uses
Intensive care unit sedation
Studies suggest dexmedetomidine for sedation in mechanically ventilated adults may reduce time to extubation and ICU stay.Compared with other sedatives, some studies suggest dexmedetomidine may be associated with less delirium. However, this finding is not consistent across multiple studies. At the very least, when aggregating many study results together, use of dexmedetomidine appears to be associated with less neurocognitive dysfunction compared to other sedatives. Whether this observation has a beneficial psychological impact is unclear. From an economic perspective, dexmedetomidine is associated with lower ICU costs, largely due to a shorter time to extubation. Procedural sedation
Dexmedetomidine can also be used for procedural sedation such as during colonoscopy. It can be used as an adjunct with other sedatives like benzodiazepines, opioids, and propofol to enhance sedation and help maintain hemodynamic stability by decreasing the requirement of other sedatives. Dexmedetomidine is also used for procedural sedation in children.It can be used for sedation required for awake fibreoptic nasal intubation in patients with a difficult airway.