Treatment of rhythmic and thromboembolic complications of cardiac failure

: Functional and structural alterations of heart in heart failure result in high risk of arrhythmias and emboli. Detection of high risk patients is based on clinical, electrophysiologic and neuro-hormonal factors. Treatment is disappointing all antiarrhythmic drugs having deleterious effects. Amiodarone and beta-blockers seem useful. Implantable cardiovector-defibrillators may benefit for high risk subjects. For preventing or treating intracardiac thrombi and emboli, antithrombic drugs may be used in large heart dilations, atrial fibrillations, ventricular aneurysms, dilated cardiomyopathies and patients with embolic history.