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,…
