Heart failure Flashcards
Heart Failure: What is it?
“HF is a pathological condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood in sufficient amounts from ventricles to meet body’s metabolic needs.”
Not a specific disease
Complex clinical syndrome resulting from any functional or structural impairment to the heart, specifically ejection of blood or ventricular filling
The heart is unable to pump blood in sufficient amounts from the ventricles to meet the body’s metabolic needs.
One of the most common causes for hospitalization in Canada
5 000 annual deaths from heart failure
5-year survival rate in those with heart failure is 50%.
Prevention is key.
Four Causes of HF
Failure of ventricle to eject blood
Fluid volume overload
Chamber dilation
Elevated intracardiac pressure
Left sided (Left = Lung) HF Symptoms
Systolic VS Diastolic
Pulmonary edema
Coughing
Shortness of breath
Dyspnea
Systolic: decreased contractility, decreased blood ejected
Diastolic: elevated filling pressures, muscle unable to relax
Right sided Symptoms
Systemic venous congestion
Pedal edema
Jugular venous distension
Ascites
Hepatic congestion
Three Consequences of HF
Blood supply to organs is reduced (kidney before heart and brains)
Impaired kidney filtration can lead to acute kidney injury or chronic kidney failure
Pulmonary edema can lead to shortness of breath and peripheral edema
Heart Failure: Causes
Myocardial deficiency
-Inadequate contractility
-Inadequate filling
Increased workload
-Pressure overload
-Volume overload
Inadequate contractility
Myocardial infarction
Coronary artery disease
Cardiomyopathy (harder for heart to pump blood)
Valvular insufficiency (heart valves fails to close; blood flows in the opposite direction)
Inadequate filling
Atrial fibrillation
Infection
Tamponade
Ischemia
Pressure overload
Pulmonary hypertension
Systemic hypertension
Outflow obstruction
Volume overload
Hypervolemia
Congenital abnormalities
Anemia
Thyroid disease
Infection
Diabetes
The New York Association’s Classification of Heart Failure
Class I
No physical activity limitations
Class II
Ordinary physical activity results in fatigue, dyspnea, or other symptoms.
Class III
Marked limitation in physical activity
Class IV
Symptoms at rest or with no physical activity at all
Class I
No physical activity limitations
Class II
Ordinary physical activity results in fatigue, dyspnea, or other symptoms.
Class III
Marked limitation in physical activity
Class IV
Symptoms at rest or with no physical activity at all
Drug Therapy for Heart Failure
Positive inotropic drugs
Positive chronotropic drugs
Positive dromotropic drugs
Positive inotropic drugs:
Positive inotropic drugs: increase the force of myocardial contraction
Positive inotropic drugs
-Phosphodiesterase inhibitors
-Cardiac glycosides
-B-type natriuretic peptides
Positive chronotropic drugs:
Positive chronotropic drugs: increase heart rate
Positive dromotropic drugs:
Positive dromotropic drugs: accelerate cardiac conduction
Other drugs used in heart failure
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
Angiotensin receptor blockers
ß-Blockers
Diuretics (furosemide and spironolactone)