Survey of cardiac failure therapy in Australian medical practice: dependence on digoxin level for diagnosis of toxicity.

A questionnaire was mailed to 3000 medical practitioners throughout Australia to assess attitudes to cardiac failure therapy. The proportion of responses suitable for analysis was 31%. There was a preference for initiating treatment with a diuretic rather than digoxin and for commencing digoxin in daily maintenance dosage rather than with a loading dose. Two-thirds of the doctors surveyed regulated glycoside therapy by monitoring blood digoxin levels. The answer pattern suggested digoxin level measurement had influenced diagnosis of toxicity.