[The role of invasive procedures in the diagnosis of heart failure].
Definition, pathophysiologic aspects and the dynamic of heart failure as well as the increasing of incidence and mortality have been discussed. The main determinants of cardiac function like contractility, preload, afterload, ventricular wall kinetic and neurohumoral factors have been analyzed. It has been shown, that the parameters of contractility in auxotonic phase have more practical significance than parameters of isovolumic phase of contraction. The actual importance of the invasive methods for assessment of pressure and volume parameters in regard to non-invasive techniques has been demonstrated. Depending on the changing of left ventricular filling pressure and cardiac output at rest and during exercise different stages of cardiac failure can be recognized. The importance of hemodynamic monitoring for evaluation of different therapeutic interventions especially in acute cardiac failure has been emphasized.