Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Heart failure has been described as a "complex clinical syndrome that results from either structural or functional impairment of ventricular filling or ejection," (Alspach, 2014, p. 1). Because of the multifaceted nature of heart failure, it is important to recognize its various symptoms and dimensions. Heart failure in general presents a major public health concern, with current prevalence at over five million adults in the United States and over 650,000 new cases being diagnosed each year (Alspach, 2014). Incidences are higher for persons aged 65 or older, and among certain ethnic groups as well. However, heart failure affects young children and accounts for as many as 10% of all pediatric cardiac transplants (Burch, 2002). Morbidity rates are likewise high, and heart failure is a leading cause of death in the United States. Because of this, heart failure has been described also as an "enormous clinical burden," (Burch, 2002).
Risk factors are as varied as the expressions of the disease. The most common risk factors in adult heart failure include "hypertension, ECG LV hypertrophy, obesity, diabetes, radiographic cardiac enlargement and cigarette use," (Ho & Magnani, 2015). Underlying causes of heart failure include coronary heart disease, hypertension or high blood pressure, and diabetes (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2015). Biomarkers and congenital conditions also cause heart failure. For example, congenital lesions on the...
Myocarditis and even some viruses may trigger the onset of heart failure (Burch, 2002).
When risk assessment is conducted regularly and in a systematic way, it can tremendously improve patient outcomes and reduce morbidity and mortality rates. Scores on formal risk assessment tests "are fundamental and essential for advancing risk prediction, and serve multiple functions to enhance epidemiological and clinical assessment," (Ho & Magnani, 2015). Therefore, healthcare workers need to perform risk assessments on high risk populations, as well as on patients who have manifested potential underlying causes for heart disease such as presence of diabetes or biomarkers. Risk assessment should also take into account demographic data and exposure to infectious disease.
Manifestations of heart failure differ from patient to patient. Some unfortunate manifestations catalogued by nurses include activity intolerance, excessive fluid volume, and decreased cardiac output (Souza, et al., 2014). Shortness of breath, fatigue, coughing, especially when in a supine position, irregular heartbeat, chest pain, breathing difficulties, and swelling in the feet and ankles or in the abdomen are a few of the common signs of heart failure in adults (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute,…
References
Alspach, J. G. (2014). Slowing the Revolving Door of Hospitalization for Acute Heart Failure. Critical Care Nurse, 34(1), 8-12 5p. doi:10.4037/ccn2014527
Burch, M. (2002). Heart failure in the young. Heart, 88(2), 198-202
Ho, J. E., & Magnani, J. W. (2015). The MESA heart failure risk score: can't we do more?. Heart (British Cardiac Society), 101(1), 7-9. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-306459
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2015). How is heart failure treated? Retrieved online: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hf/treatment
M.K., a 45-year-old female who has a history of Type II diabetes mellitus and primary hypertension. In addition to this, M.K. is overweight and persists with a poor diet. The patient has also been smoking for the past 22 years, and has recently been diagnosed with chronic bronchitis. Current symptoms include chronic cough, which tends to be more severe in the mornings and productive with sputum, light-headedness, distended neck
Pregnant or breastfeeding women, older patients and other patients with certain medical problems are advised to first consult their doctors before using the drugs. These medical problems are heart disease, heart rhythm problems, severe lung disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and thyroid disease (Flanigan). Although side effects of digitalis drugs are rare, patients are urged to consult reactions such as skin rash, hives or other troublesome symptoms (May 2006). Signs
Congestive Heart Failure CHF Overview: As you know, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is one of the most common causes of death in the United States. The multifaceted causes and symptoms associated with CHF often leave the health care provider treating the symptoms rather than underlying causes, with near universal need to tailor care to each patient through a sometimes difficult process if elimination. The sometimes-idiosyncratic nature of epidemiology can also leave the
Best Practices in the Management of Congestive Heart Failure In recent years, diagnostic testing and treatments for cardiovascular diseases have improved survival rates and the quality of life for many patients, with the sole exception of congestive heart failure (CHF), which has experienced increases in both prevalence and incidence (Rahnavard & Nodeh, 2014). Moreover, today, coronary heart diseases in general and CHF in particular are among the leading causes of mortality
Alzheimer's (Dementia) Disease Responsible for Congestive Heart Failure? Approximately four million Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The disease affects nearly one out of ten Americans over the age of 65 and nearly half of those over 85 (Davis, 1997). Of all Alzheimer's patients, about 28% also have congestive heart failure, leading researchers to pursue studies attempting to correlate Alzheimer's disease directly with congestive heart failure. About Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's disease
Source: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content-nw/full/111/23/e394/TBLIB Echocardiographic Features That Suggest Potential Need for Surgical Intervention Vegetation Persistent vegetation after systemic embolization Anterior mitral leaflet vegetation, particularly with size >10 mm* embolic events during first 2 wk of antimicrobial therapy* Increase in vegetation size despite appropriate antimicrobial http://circ.ahajournals.org/math/dagger.gif Valvular dysfunction Acute aortic or mitral insufficiency with signs of ventricular http://circ.ahajournals.org/math/dagger.gif Heart failure unresponsive to medical http://circ.ahajournals.org/math/dagger.gif Valve perforation or http://circ.ahajournals.org/math/dagger.gif Perivalvular extension Valvular dehiscence, rupture, or http://circ.ahajournals.org/math/dagger.gif New heart http://circ.ahajournals.org/math/dagger.gif Large abscess or extension of abscess despite appropriate