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Management of heart failure patients in Poland
Author(s) -
Korewicki J.,
Rywik S.,
Rywik T.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
european journal of heart failure
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.149
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1879-0844
pISSN - 1388-9842
DOI - 10.1016/s1388-9842(01)00207-0
Subject(s) - medicine , heart failure , ischaemic heart disease , cardiology , heart disease , intensive care medicine
Over the next 10 years, heart failure is likely to become a medical and sociological problem as a result of improved treatment of ischaemic heart disease and hypertension. At present, in Poland, there are only 50% of the cardiological or cardiac surgery procedures (coronarography, PTCA, CABG, surgery of congenital or acquired heart disease) performed compared to Western Europe. After being registered on the waiting list, it can take anything between 3 and 12 months before the procedure is done. Patients with heart failure have diagnostic tests such as ECG, chest X‐ray, and biochemical evaluation performed regardless of the level of care. When echocardiography, exercise testing or Holter monitoring is required, it is done at specialist or reference specialist facilities with a waiting time of approximately 1–3 months. Pharmaceutical treatment of CHF is also inadequate. ACE inhibitors are prescribed in approximately 68% of patients. The average prescribed dosage is far from that recommended in guidelines. Only 18–29% of patients with HF are on beta blockers. The improvement of cardiological care standards depends mainly on the financial resources of State Health System Agencies.