Cardiomyopathy-Congestive Heart Failure Treatment and Teaching Plan

Congestive Heart Failure

TREATMENT and EDUCATION PLAN

Cardiomyopathy and Congestive Heart Failure

Cardiomyopathy is a diseased condition of the heart muscle wherein it enlarges or becomes rigid or thickens (NHLBI, 2011). It has many causes, signs and symptoms as well as therapies. In extreme but rare cases, the affected heart muscle is replaced with scar tissue (NHLBI). Congestive heart failure or CHF, on the other hand, is a condition wherein the heart becomes unable to pump blood efficiently into the organs of the body. The cause is either the right or left ventricle or both. Usual symptoms are shortness of breath, pooling of blood in the body systems, edema and heart enlargement. Among the causes are coronary artery disease, prolonged alcohol use, heart muscle weakness and high blood pressure (MedicineNet).

Approach in Care

The ideal one is an organized team of specialists, which will aim at improved overall outcome (Jaarsma, 2005). This includes improved quality of life, frequent and sufficiently long follow-ups, and greater survival of the patient. These professionals are physicians, nurses and other health care professionals. On account of an increasingly aging population, such patients will require additional or specialized treatment, care and guidance. And a combination of approaches is also likely to change in the future in adjusting to expected changes and needs. They may be referred back to a heart management program, to their general practitioner or primary care provider. The nurse may also need to perform more independently of the physician. Clinical instability, psychosocial conditions and other mobility considerations may be the considerations in determining the suitable inter-professional services to be rendered. In the overall, a multidisciplinary approach is the deemed optimal treatment and care for current heart failure patients (Jaarsma).

Treatment Plan

This consists of medicines, medicine procedures and surgery, and lifestyle changes (X-Plain Patient Education, 2013). Medications include diuretics, aldosterone to eliminate salts, angiotensin receptor blockers to relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure, beta blockers to reduce heart rate and the workload of the heart, relaxants to reduce heart actions in pumping blood too much, and digoxin to strengthen the heartbeat and pumping capability. When the condition gets worse, medicines and lifestyle changes can no longer handle the symptoms. The treatment must be a medical procedure or surgery. These may be cardiac resynchronization therapy, a pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, a heart pump of a heart transplant. Lifestyle changes can consist of regular physical activity balanced with rest, healthy but low-sodium foods, ideal weight-taking, avoidance of smoking and alcohol, and the regular taking of prescribed medication (X-plain Patient Education).

Education Plan as Part of Treatment

The heart failure screening plan has shown to be effective in teaching evidence-based treatment and adequate intervention and patient education to practitioners (Packard et al., 2010). It increases practitioner knowledge and confidence in administering therapy management to CHF patients. Its guidelines have demonstrated successes in administering and managing medication and patient education. These guidelines enable hospitalized CHF patients to understand indications, dosages, effects of drugs, and recognize common side effects. They also help patients understand the importance of taking medications regularly and as prescribed. New guidelines were created in 2009 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation and American Heart Association. These new guidelines are adjusted to individual patient conditions, with emphasis on the six aspects of care, diet, discharge medication and adherence, persistence and dose filtration, follow-ups, daily weight monitoring, and measure to take when symptoms get worse (Packard et al.).