Studies in Congestive Heart Failure

Key Points

• To investigate the effect of digitalis administration on the potassium concentration of cardiac muscle during congestive heart failure and cardiac fatigue.
• Assessed potassium content in cardiac muscle tissue across postmortem cases of fatal congestive heart failure.
• Evaluated myocardial tissue changes in dilated versus non-dilated hearts in relation to cardiac overwork and digitalis therapy.
• Cardiac muscle potassium content is selectively decreased in patients who died of congestive heart failure presenting with cardiac dilatation.
• Myocardial potassium depletion is linked to cardiac muscle fatigue and overwork, identifying a potential pathway for digitalis action.