Ch 44 Agents for treating heart failure Flashcards
Afterload
Resistance/pressure against which the heart has to beat
Cardiac output
Volume of blood being pumped by the heart
Cardiomegaly
Enlargement of the heart, commonly seen with chronic hypertension, valvular disease, and heart failure
Cardiomyopathy
A disease of the heart muscle that leads to a weakened heart and can eventually lead to complete heart muscle failure and death
Chronotropic
Describes an agent that can change the heart rate
Dyspnea
Discomfort with respirations, often with the feeling of anxiety and inability to breathe, seen with left sided heart failure
Heart failure HF
A condition in which the heart muscle has less ability to adequately pump blood around the cardiovascular system, leading to a back up or congestion of the blood in the system
Hemoptysis
Blood tinged sputum seen in left sided heart failure when blood backs up into the lungs and fluid leaks into the lung tissue
Nocturia
Getting up to void at night, reflecting increased renal perfusion with fluid shifts in the supine position when a person has gravity dependent edema related to heart failure; other medical conditions, including urinary tract infection, increase the need to get up and void
Orthopnea 
Difficulty breathing when lying down, often referred to by the number of pillows required to allow a person to breathe comfortably
Positive inotropic
Describes an agent that causes an increased force of muscle contraction
Preload
Amount of blood that is brought back to the heart to be pumped throughout the body; this blood exert pressure on the heart ventricles
Pulmonary edema
Severe left sided heart failure with back up of blood into the lungs, leading to loss of fluid into the lung tissue
Tachypnea 
Rapid and shallow respirations seen with left sided heart failure
Agents for heart failure
Cardiac glycoside Digoxin Phosphodiesteraae inhibitor Milrinone Hyper polarization activated cyclic nucleotide gated channel blocker Ivabradine 
