Medical Pharmacology Practice Questions: Congestive Heart Failure

Which one(s) of the following is/are descriptive of acute decompensated heart failure?
1. Reduced cardiac performance
2. Renal dysfunction
3. Changes in vascular compliance
4. All of the above
Concerning morbidity and mortality associated with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), which one(s) of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Short-term mortality is about 5-8%.
2. Long-term mortality is about 20% at the one-year mark
3. Both
4. Neither
This class of drugs remains "central" in pharmacological treatment of congestive heart failure congestive symptoms.
1. Cardiac glycosides
2. Diuretics
3. Calcium channel antagonists
4. ß-adrenergic receptor blockers
In congestive heart failure, volume expansion leads to increased left ventricular end-diastolic volume. This increase in end-diastolic volume may promote elevated right-heart pressures, pulmonary venous congestion and peripheral edema.
1. True
2. False
The effectiveness of loop or thiazide diuretics in managing congestive heart failure symptoms and improving exercise capacity is the basis of their ability to reduce CHF mortality.
1. True
2. False
Which one of the following loop diuretics is typically not used as a result of increased risk of ototoxicity.
1. Ethacrynic acid
2. Bumetanide
3. Furosemide
4. Torsemide
Monotherapy with thiazide diuretics has a prominent role in pharmacological management of congestive heart failure.
1. True
2. False
Most CHF patients require chronic administration of a loop diuretic (e.g. furosemide) for maintenance of euvolemia.
1. True
2. False
Him decompensated CHF patients requiring hospitalization, repetitive IV administered bolus dosing or constant infusion of diuretics may be necessary to provide rapid, reliable diuresis.
1. True
2. False
Which one(s) of the following represent causes of diuretic resistance in the heart failure patient?
1. Excessive dietary sodium intake
2. Reduced renal perfusion and glomerular filtration rate due to decline in cardiac output (occurring, for example due to arrhythmias)
3. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
4. Renal pathology including drug-induced interstitial nephritis
5. Impaired diuretic absorption, secondary to gut wall edema with reduced splanchnic blood perfusion.
6. A & B
7. A & C
8. B & E
9. A, B, C, D & E