Deleterious effects of catecholamine administration in acute heart failure caused by unrecognized Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

The potential life-threatening consequences of catecholamine use for emergency circulatory support in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy-related acute heart failure is a major challenge in cardiovascular emergences. In their recent work in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders Ansari U. et al. demonstrated the harmful effects of catecholamines on the outcome of patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Concerning this matter we emphasize the usefulness of speckle-tracking-derived echocardiography for early recognition of an acute phase of a Takotsubo syndrome in order to avoid the deleterious effects of a catecholamine therapy in patients with Takotsubo-associated acute heart failure.