S9) Heart Failure Flashcards
What is heart failure?
Heart failure is a state in which the heart fails to maintain an adequate circulation for the needs of the body despite an adequate filling pressure
Outline the aetiology of heart failure
- Ischaemic Heart Disease
- Hypertension
- Dilated/hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Valvular/Congenital Heart Disease
- Pericardial disease
- Arrhythmias
What are the clinical signs of chronic heart failure?
- Pulmonary congestion
- Venous congestion
- Dependent oedema
What are the symptoms of chronic heart disease?
- Dyspnoea
- Lethargy
- Orthopnoea
Describe the clinical features of Class I heart failure
No symptomatic limitation of physical activity
Describe the clinical features of Class II heart failure
- Slight limitation of physical activity
- Ordinary physical activity results in symptoms
- No symptoms at rest
Describe the clinical features of Class III heart failure
- Marked limitation of physical activity
- Less than ordinary physical activity results in symptoms
- No symptoms at rest
Describe the clinical features of Class IV heart failure
- Inability to carry out any physical activity without symptoms
- May have symptoms at rest
- Discomfort increases with any degree of physical activity
What are the factors affecting cardiac output?
- Heart rate
- Venous capacity (preload)
- Myocardial contractility
- Arterial and peripheral impedance (afterload)
What is Starling’s Law of the Heart?
“The force developed in a muscle fibre depends on the degree to which the fibre is stretched.”
Describe the pathophysiology of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction
- Increased LV capacity
- Reduced LV cardiac output
- Thinning of the myocardial wall
I. Fibrosis and necrosis of myocardium
II. Activity of matrix proteinases
What are the causes of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction?
- Mitral valve incompetence
- Neuro-hormonal activation
- Cardiac Arrhythmias
Which structural heart changes occur after Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction?
- Loss of muscle
- Uncoordinated myocardial contraction
- Changes to the ECM (increase in collagen)
- Change of cellular structure and function (myocyte hypertrophy)
Describe ventricular remodeling after acute infarction
Describe ventricular remodeling in diastolic and systolic heart failure
Label the following images: