Heart Failure Flashcards
1
Q
What is heart failure?
What is the prevalence of it?
What is the economic burden of it?
A
- Clinical syndrome caused by the heart’s inability to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the body’s needs.
- More common in older ages, and is the main cause for emergency admission for >65 yo’s
- 2% total NHS health care costs
2
Q
What are the compensatory mechanisms that can occur during heart failure?
A
- Ventricular dilatation - maintains CO/SV
- ↑Myocardial contractility
- Myocardial hypertrophy
- Sympathetic stimulation - ↑HR
- ↑RAAS
3
Q
Why is ventricular dilatation bad for the heart?
How is the ↑Sympathetic drive treated?
What can be given to ↓RAAS activity?
A
- Ventricle is over-stretched - harder to reform actin-myosin cross links for efficient contraction
- β-blockers given
- ACEi and ARBs
4
Q
What are the 3 clinical signs of heart failure?
A
- PERIPHERAL OEDEMA - right heart failure
- PULMONARY OEDEMA - left heart failure
- CONGESTIVE CARDIAC FAILURE - left and right ventricular failure
5
Q
What are the mechanical causes of pump failure? Give an example of what can cause them
A
- Impaired ventricular function e.g. MI
- Pressure overload of ventricle e.g. Hypertension
- Inflow obstruction of ventricle e.g. Mitral stenosis
- Valvular diseases e.g. Valve regurgitation
- Volume overload of ventricle e.g. Ventricular/Atrial Septal Defect
6
Q
What are the symptoms of Pulmonary Oedema?
What are some of the associated conditions?
A
- • DYSPNOEA - shortness of breath
• ORTHOPNOEA - shortness of breath when lying flat
• Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea - sudden shortness of breath at night - Renal dysfunction, Iron deficiency, Gout, Skeletal muscle wasting.
7
Q
What biomarker can indicate heart failure?
How will this biomarker be used in the diagnosis of heart failure?
A
- BNP
- If heart failure is suspected, get a BNP test done. If normal, check for other causes of breathlessness. If elevated, carry out an echocardiogram to confirm diagnosis.
