Heart Failure Flashcards
What is the definition of heart failure?
An abnormality in cardiac function that results in inadequate circulation of blood around the body without excessive pressure.
What is myocardial failure?
Abnormalities of the cardiomyocytes (primary cells of the heart musculature): cardiomyopathies
Can be a result of a long standing high hemodynamic burden and pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium).
What can cause sudden heart failure without long standing abnormal function?
A sudden increase of load- pulmonary embolism.
An impairment of a ventricle filling such as stenosis
Describe the processes of heart failure.
Ventricular hypertrophy is the response to increased haemodynamic burden>
Concentric hypertrophy: Response to increased load and pressure- thickened walls.
Eccentric hypertrophy: overload of blood volume causes increase in vessel diameter.
At first heart can compensate- may do this for years.
Heart will eventually deteriorate.
What are some of the features of heart failure?
High output heart failure> hyperthyroidism, anaemia, pregnancy.
Low output heart failure> Ischaemic heart failure, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, valvular or pericardial disease
Right sided: right ventricular overload caused by systemic congestion such as oedema, hepatomegaly venous distension.
Left sided: Left ventricular overload caused by secondary lung congestion
Chronic: Caused by cardiomyopathies and valvular diseases
Acute: Large infarction, valve rupture.
Compare the different types of flow issues that can occur in heart failure.
Forward heart failure: Inadequate CO
Backward heart failure: Congestive state: congestion of the vasculature of the lungs (oedema). Not all blood pumped in is expelled.
Systolic: Error in L- heart contraction> poor circulation
Diastolic: Error in R- heart contraction> inadequate ventricular filling.
What are the main clinical manifestations of heart failure?
Difficulties breathing
Jaundice
Fatigue and weakness
Possible cerebral symptoms
Oedema and systemic congestion in the lower limbs
Congestive hepatomegaly: back up of blood in the liver
Describe the basic histology of the heart.
Surrounded by a fibrous pericardial layer, a serous pericardial- parietal layer, a visceral layer of pericardium, a muscular myocardial layer and an inner endocardial layer.
