Congested Heart Failure
(adapted from McGraw Hill Case Studies)
Chief Complaint: 74-year-old woman with shortness of breath and swelling.
History: Martha Wilmington, a 74-year-old woman with a history of rheumatic fever while in her twenties, presented to her physician with complaints of increasing shortness of breath ("dyspnea") upon exertion. She also noted that the typical swelling she's had in her ankles for years has started to get worse over the past two months, making it especially difficult to get her shoes on toward the end of the day. In the past week, she's had a decreased appetite, some nausea and vomiting, and tenderness in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen.
On physical examination, Martha's jugular veins
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As the blood quickly flows in, it will hit the hardened walls, creating an extra sound. In congestive heart failure, preload and contractility are major factors in the improper functioning of the heart as a pump.
3) Is her history of rheumatic fever relevant to her current symptoms? Explain. Rheumatic fever caused by Group A Streptococcus bacteria may cause damage to heart tissues including valves. Overtime, congestive heart failure may have developed. However, the pulmonary semilunar valve seems to be the issue in this case study, whereas rheumatic fever normally affects left heart tissue.
4) A chest X-ray reveals a cardiac silhouette that is normal in diameter. Does this rule out a possible problem with Martha's heart? Explain. No, a normal diameter of a cardiac silhouette does not rule out a problem with Martha’s heart. The heart adapts and will compensate for damage in order to still function optimally. The right ventricle, in this case, will become stronger in order to push the same amount of blood (stroke volume) through the narrowed pulmonary semi-lunar valve. This thickening doesn’t necessarily change the inner diameter.
5) You examine Martha's abdomen and find that she has an enlarged liver ("hepatomegaly") and a moderate degree of ascites (water in the peritoneal cavity). Explain these findings.
The increased resistance of blood flow through the pulmonary semilunar valve from the right ventricle backs up the pressure of blood
His skin was mottled with an increasing capillary refill time. Schmidt and Mandel (2008) suggest this is a sign of hypoperfusion as the skin is vasoconstricting due to the redirection of blood flow to the core organs.
ECG: sinus tachycardia with waveform abnormalities consistent with LVH, Pronounced Q waves consistent with pulmonary edema.
M.G., a “frequent fl ier,” is admitted to the emergency department (ED) with a diagnosis of heart failure
6. What laboratory tests should be ordered for M.G. related to the order for furosemide (Lasix)? (Select all that apply)
2. The defect in Caleb’s heart allows blood to mix between the two ventricular chambers. Due to this defect would you expect the blood to move from left-to-right ventricle or right-to-left ventricle during systole? Explain your answer based on blood pressure and resistance in the heart and great vessels. It goes left to right during systole. The difference is normally, oxygen-poor (blue) blood returns to the right atrium from the body, travels to the right ventricle, and then is pumped into the lungs where it receives oxygen. Oxygen-rich (red) blood returns to the left atrium from the lungs, passes into the left ventricle, and then is pumped out to the body through the aorta. But when an infant has ventricular septal defect it still allows oxygen-rich (red) blood to pass from the left ventricle, through the opening in the septum, and then mix with oxygen-poor (blue) blood in the right ventricle. (ROCHESTER.EDU) but instead when systole occurs the blood gets mixed because of the septum therefore heart needs to pump harder to ensure that enough blood with oxygen reaches the body.
5. Make an initial speculation about Suzie’s condition at this time. Assuming that your speculation is true, what do you think the doctor will find in the results of Suzie’s physical examination?
In systolic ventricular dysfunction or systolic heart failure the heart is not able to produce enough output for adequate tissue perfusion. Heart rate and stroke volume produce cardiac output. Contractility, preload, and afterload influence the heart’s stroke volume. These factors are important in understanding the pathophysiologic consequences of this syndrome and possible treatments. Patients with systolic heart failure usually have dilated, large ventricles and impaired systolic function.
In a normal human being the heart correctly functions by the blood first entering through the right atrium from the superior and inferior vena cava. This blood flow continues through the right atrioventricular valve into the right ventricle. The right ventricle contracts forcing the pulmonary valve to open leading blood flow through the pulmonary valve and into the pulmonary trunk. Blood is then distributed from the right and left pulmonary arteries to the lungs, where carbon dioxide is unloaded and oxygen is loaded into the blood. The blood is returned from the lungs to the left
Anna Stork is a 72-year-old white female who was diagnosed with congestive heart failure 2 years ago. She has periodic exacerbations of CHF requiring numerous hospital admissions in the last six months. She has been followed by the Medical Center of Trinity Hospital cardiologist, Dr. D. Patel since the diagnosis. Anna’s past medical history is significant for anterior MI approx. 5 years ago, stent implanted, atrial fibrillation, arthritis, IAD and pacemaker implanted, and CHF. Her surgical history includes; stent, IAD, and pacemaker implanted. She denies any allergy history.
Right ventricular hypertrophy is where the muscle of the right ventricle is thicker than usual and causes the heart to work harder than normal to move blood through the narrowed pulmonary valve.
If a streptococcal infection such as pharyngitis or scarlet fever is left untreated, there is a small (~3%) chance that within approximately 20 days, the patient will present with rheumatic fever. After the first bout of rheumatic fever, if the host acquires a second untreated S. Pyogenes infection, the chance of coming down with rheumatic fever jumps substantially to ~50%. Most often this secondary disease will strike people aged 6-15 years old, roughly 20 days after the streptococcal infection, with a 2-5% mortality rate. One of the major diagnostic symptoms of this disease is Erythema Marginatum, snake- or ring-like eruptions covering the trunk, upper arms, and legs. Other symptoms include fever, arthritis (elbows, knees, wrists, and ankles), swollen joints, pain in the abdomen, nodules
Congestive Heart Failure is when the heart's pumping power is weaker than normal. It does not mean the heart has stopped working. The blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, and pressure in the heart increases. This means; the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body's needs. The chambers of the heart respond by stretching to hold more blood to pump through the body or by becoming more stiff and thickened. This only keeps the blood moving for a short while. The heart muscle walls weaken and are unable to pump as strongly. This makes the kidneys respond by causing the body to retain fluid and sodium. When the body builds up with fluids, it becomes congested. Many conditions can cause heart
A 32-year old nurse who has rheumatic fever as a child noticed a persistent tachycardia and light-headedness. Upon examination, chest x rays showed an enlarged left atrium and left ventricle. ECG analysis showed atrial fibrillation. There was also mild pulmonary congestion. Cardiac evaluation resulted in the following information:
I. Description: Congestive Heart Failure is more of a syndrome than a disease. Heart failure may be classified according to the side of the heart affected, (left- or right-sided failure), or by the cardiac cycle involved, (systolic or diastolic dysfunction). (Schilling-McCann p. 176). The word "failure" refers to the heart's inability to pump enough blood to meet the body's metabolic needs. (Schilling-McCann p. 176). When the heart fails to deliver adequate blood supply edema may develop. (Cadwallader p. 1141). Where edema occurs depends on what side of the heart is failing.
Q.3 :- Explain what a normal chest film would demonstrate ,with a particular refrence to the structures that would be visible and their 3 dimensional anatomical relationships.