Current Management of Heart Failure: When to Refer to Heart Failure Specialist and When Hospice is the Best Option.

Heart failure (HF) is a common syndrome caused by different abnormalities of the cardiovascular system that result in impairment of the ventricles in filling or ejecting blood. HF is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in the United States with a very high cost to the health care system. In the United States there are 880,000 new HF diagnoses per year and 5 million cases currently identified. This article focuses on the etiology of left ventricle dysfunction, HF presentation, and the acute and chronic management of HF.