Heart Failure Flashcards
what is it?
the clinical syndrome described as the inability of the heart to pump an adequate amount of oxygenated blood to meet the body’s demands (adequate cardiac output)
problem with filling
poor compliance or lack of space to fill
contracting problem
poor contractility
Facts
- most common reason for hospitalization in adults >65
- there is no cure , only preventative measures and treatment of symptoms
Primary risk factors
- coronary artery disease (CAD)
- advancing age
HF 101
The goal is to improve cardiac output
Cardiac output
the amount of blood ejected out of the ventricles each minute
co=sv x hr
Cardiac index
is cardiac output adjusted for body size
ci= co/bsa bsa= height x weight /3600
Stroke volume
the amount of blood ejected from the ventricles with each ventricular systole (contraction)
Hemodynamics
co = 4-8 liters /min CI= 2.5-4 liter/min SV= 60-130mls
3 parts of stroke volume
- preload
- afterload
- contractility
Preload
- measurement of volume
- amount of blood in the heart at the end of diastole
- increased with volume replacement
- decreased by blood loss and diuretics
Afterload
- measurement of resistance
- influenced by vascular resistance, blood pressure, blood viscosity, and aortic /pulmonic stenosis
contractility
- cannot directly measure but can be seen with echocardiogram
- the strength of myocardial contraction
- influenced by preload
Frank starling’s law (or curve)
- as you increase preload contractility will improve…to a point
- too much preload can overstretch the heart and weaken the cardiac muscle causing worsened contractility
what causes the heart to fail
- impaired myocardial function (endocarditis,CAD, cardiomyopathy)
- increased cardiac workload(hypertension, anemia, valve disorders)
- non- cardiac conditions( volume overload, massive pulmonary embolus)
Compensatory mechanisms in the heart
- when the heart begins to fail the body attempts to compensate
- initially these mechanisms are helpful but ultimately they harm the patient only worsening their heart failure
compensation cascade in heart failure
- decreased cardiac output stimulates the SNS to release norepinephrine
- norepinephrine increases HR and contractility but also causes vasoconstriction
- vasoconstriction increases venous return to the heart which increases ventricular filling
- overfilling stretches the heart causing myocardial hypertrophy
- the hypertrophied ventricle has deceased contractility which in turn decreases cardiac output
Heart failure affects every body system
respiratory- fluid overload (pulmonary edema)
neuro- poor cardiac output( confusion, lethargy)
integumentary- poor perfusion and edema puts patients at risk for skin breakdown(swollen, cyanotic)
gastrointestinal- liver congestion and enlargement, ascites, malnutrition
urinary- poor renal perfusion
the kidney’s role in heart failure
- decreased renal perfusion (low cardiac output)
- angiotensin and aldosterone are released
- causes increased anti diuretic hormone
- ADH causes the kidneys to reabsorb more water
- this combination of increased sodium and water leads to a further increase preload
- the weak heart cannot handle the excess fluid (preload) and congestion worsens , heart becomes more dilated and cardiac output drops even more
Types of heart failure
- systolic
- diastolic
- right
- left