Lots More Information

Related HowStuffWorks Articles

• How Your Heart Works
• How Your Lungs Work
• How Your Kidneys Work
• How Blood Works
• How Ultrafiltration Works
• How Orthopnea Works
• How Jugular Venous Distension Works
• How Heart Failure Affects Quality of Life
• How Inotropic Drugs Work
• How Diuretics Work
• How Low-Sodium Diets Work

More Great Links

• American Heart Association
• Heart Failure Society of America
• National Institutes of Health

Sources

• Costanzo MR, Guglin ME, Saltzberg MT, et al. Ultrafiltration versus intravenous diuretics for patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2007; 49:675-683.
• Costanzo MR, Saltzberg M, O'Sullivan J. Early ultrafiltration in patients with decompensated heart failure and diuretic resistance. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005;46:2047-2051.
• Elkayam U, Hatamizadeh P, Janmohamed M. The challenge of correcting volume overload in hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2007;49:684-686.