ACUTELY DECOMPENSATED HEART FAILURE (HF), if left untreated, causes organ hypoperfusion that can progress to irreversible and life-threatening multiorgan dysfunction. Cardiointestinal syndrome (CIS) is the result of both persistent venous congestion and hypoperfusion of the intestines as a result of biventricular HF.1 These mechanisms contribute to perturbations in normal intestine function that ultimately result in intestinal bacteria product translocation into the bloodstream.2 This translocation causes inflammatory cytokine production and sepsis, which depress myocardial function and eventually lead to biventricular heart failure, multiorgan failure, and death.
