Congestive Heart Failure Research Paper

Symptoms of congestive heart failure consist of fatigue, dependent edema, fluid build-up in the lungs, increase in urination because of the extra fluid, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite (Fundukian, 2011).  Diagnosis of CHF is done first by physical examination, such as heart rate, and heart sounds or murmurs. If a physician believes more tests are needed, common ones include an electrocardiogram or chest x-ray to detect previous heart attacks, arrhythmia, or heart enlargement, and echocardiogram using ultrasound to image the heart muscle, valves, and blood flow patterns. The physician may also want to do a heart catheterization, to allow the arteries of the heart to be visualized using angiography. Upon getting a diagnosis of CHF, the physician will usually start with asking the patient to change things in their diet, such going to a low sodium diet. They may also want to prescribe medications. Types of medications could include angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which block formation of angiotensin II hormone, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) to block the action of angiotensin II at the receptor site, and diuretics, just to name a few (Fundukian, 2011).

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition that occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood with enough force to circulate it throughout the body (VanMeter &

CHF can be caused by many different reasons. Sometimes CHF can be a heart defect or can be caused by unhealthy lifestyles. “CHF is an ongoing condition in which the heart muscle is weakened and can’t pump as well as it normally does” (Congestive Heart Failure). When the heart becomes too weak to continue to pump blood throughout the body, it is called Congestive Heart Failure. When CHF first

Also, physicians need the routine lab testing results as this helps them diagnose and initiate treatment plans for patients with heart failure. The lab tests that are recommended by the American Heart Association and others to evaluate for heart failure are: a complete blood count (CBC), which may indicate anemia and possibly an infection as one of the possible causes of heart failure. A basic metabolic panel (BMP) would show serum electrolytes and may help with diagnosing fluid retention or renal failure. Also, B-type natriuretic peptide levels (BNP) are up in heart failure. A twelve lead electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), shows the electrical activity of the heart and may help reveal arrhythmias, infarctions, or even heart failure (Petersen, M., Wang, Y., Van der Laang., M. & Guzman, D.

Therapeutic measures for a patient with congestive heart failure would be daily weights, dietary sodium restrictions, positioning in high or semi-Fowler’s position, frequent vital signs, oxygen by cannula or mask, medical devices: pacemakers, internal cardiac defibrillator, biventricular cardiac pacemaker, ventricular assist device, medications: digoxin, diuretics, inotropes, nesiritide, beta blockers, surgery: heart valve repair or replacement, coronary

A person's symptoms can provide important clues to the presence of heart failure. (Cadwallader p. 1143). Some of these include: JVD, SOB, frequent coughing when lying down, edema, acites, fatigue, syncope, vertigo, and sudden death. (Cadwallader p. 1142).

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

As a result of Congestive Heart Failure, individuals experience a plethora of symptoms, which can take a substantial toll on the human body. Primary symptoms of CHF are dyspnea, fatigue, edema, and chest pains (Heart Failure Symptoms). The most dominant indications are dyspnea and edema. Dyspnea usually occurs in a recumbent position, causing fluid to relax and build up in the lungs (Heart Failure Symptoms). Edema transpires when the individual is generally in an upward position, allowing the fluid to drain towards the legs and ankles, causing swelling (Heart Failure Symptoms). If symptoms persist, it is an implication of worsening heart failure (Heart Failure Symptoms).

The doctor, cardiologist, and other medical professionals will be looking for certain things to determine if a person has heart failure; for example, a third heart beat (besides the usual “lub” “dub”). Heart failure is diagnosed by certain symptoms along with certain medical tests (Krum, 2009). Some medical tests conducted by various kinds of doctors are the following: Electrocardiograms, Echocardiography, and MRIs. An electrocardiogram is a machine that displays a person’s heartbeat to assess electrical and muscular purposes of the heart. Electrocardiograms are helpful because it can rule out a certain type of heart failure (Krum, 2009). Echocardiography uses ultrasound technology to examine the heart. This test can help with the diagnosis of heart failure because it can give the medical professional information about the left ventricle. An MRI is a medical exam to determine if someone has heart failure because it gives an evaluation of the

Next, the second most important is the symptoms of congestive heart failure. With aging and having congestive heart can have many symptoms that will go unnoticed. Some symptoms are severe and sometimes congestive heart failure can come and go. The symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, congest lungs, fluid and water retention, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, and rapid or irregular heartbeats. During congested lungs fluids are the backup that causes shortness of breath and will cause a hacking cough or wheezing. However, fluid and water retention giving less blood to the kidney’s, resulting having swollen ankles, legs, abdomen, and weight gain. Also includes more urination during throughout the night. On the other hand, the symptom

A congestive heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart doesn’t pump blood as well as it could.

Congestive heart failure is a chronic disease that requires daily monitoring and life style management. Affecting the elderly, and their family the adjustment is a challenge. Daily life skills include the monitoring of daily weights, intake and output, and a low sodium diet. The person with congestive heart failure is generally admitted to the hospital for medication adjustments when their symptoms increase. The patient is often times short of breath, with a decrease in energy and an increase in their weight. The patients are generally elderly 60-65 years of age or older, and when comparing African Americans to Caucasians the African Americans have a 1.5 greater chance of developing heart failure ("Heart Failure," 2017). The

Heart failure is a chronic disease that suddenly happened. Common symptoms of this disease are irregular heartbeat, often bloody coughs and reads. A person can lose talking lust meal, nausea, frequent urination night, but weight rises because of dangerous fluids and organs in the body to swell.

Coronary artery disease, viral infections, genetic disorders, substance abuse, and some medical conditions can all result in heart failure. Insufficent

Patients should know the warning signs of heart failure. In case of recurrence or worsening of the signs, patients should alert without waiting for a medical professional. These signs include: