Introduction Heart failure (HF) is a chronic condition with worldwide high and growing prevalence. – It is extremely important to identify the cause of decompensated HF in order to manage cases correctly, given that identification makes it possible to implement specific treatment and prevent new hospitalizations. In Brazil, the main causes are poor adherence to medical treatment (30%) and infections (23%), mainly pulmonary bacterial ones. For this reason, patients with HF should receive the pneumococcal vaccine. Although it is less […]