Congestive Hepatopathy And Cardiac Cirrhosis

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).

Heart failure (HF) is defined as a multifaceted clinical syndrome that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the ventricle to fill with or eject blood. In HF, the heart may not provide tissues with adequate blood for metabolic needs, and cardiac-related elevation of pulmonary or systemic venous pressures may result in organ congestion1. In the United States, HF is increasing in incidence with about 5.1 million people suffering from HF and half of people who develop HF die within 5years 2. Over 75% of existing and new cases occurred in individuals over 65 years of age, < 1% in individuals below 60 years, nearly 10% in those over 80 years of age. HF costs the

Left sided heart failure occurs as a result of ineffective left ventricular contractile function. As the pumping ability of the left ventricle fails, cardiac output falls. Blood is no longer effectively pumped out into the body; it backs up into the left atrium and the into the lungs, causing pulmonary congestion, dyspnea, and activity intolerance. If the condition persists, pulmonary edema and right

Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD, but commonly referred to as heart failure) is a chronic, progressive cardiac syndrome in which a damaged heart fails to beat efficiently and deliver enough blood to meet the body's needs. Although coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common cause, for example, myocardial infarction, and many of the conditions are intertwined, there are several other causes of heart failure including cardiomyopathies, hypertension and valve disease.

Right-sided heart failure consists of the heart unable to pump blood to the lungs. This can cause right ventricular hypertrophy, and fluid will start to back up into the body causing edema where gravity determines. Lying down may cause edema in the buttocks and flank areas but most commonly people see edema in their ankles and legs along with increase weight gain over short periods of time. This type of congestive heart failure is still very important and should be seen by a physician to prevent further problems, because patients with right sided heart failure are at high risk for left sided heart failure.

Congestive Heart Failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the needs of the rest of the body (Department of Health & Human Services, 2012). The failure can occur in on either side of the heart. In left-side heart failure, fluid backs up into the lungs, causing shortness of breath, due to the fact that the blood entering the left side of the heart comes from the pulmonary artery, and when the left ventricle cannot pump fluid out of the heart or when the left atrium cannot empty completely into the ventricle it backs up into the lungs. In right-side heart failure, fluid can back up into the abdomen, legs, and feet, causing swelling. The blood being pumped into the right

Congestive heart failure is an older name for heart failure. Congestive heart failure takes place when the heart is unable to maintain an adequate circulation of blood in the bodily tissues or to pump out the venous blood returned to it by the veins (Merriam-Webster). The heart is split into two distinct pumping structures, the right side of the heart and the left side of the heart. Appropriate cardiac performance involves each ventricle to extract even quantities of blood over intervals. If the volume of blood reimbursed to the heart develops more than both ventricles can manage, the heart can no longer be an efficient pump.

This case study is about Abdul Chidiac, a 51 year old male, married with 4 children. He had a medical history of hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia and cirrhosis with two admissions in the last six months. He is a smoker and drinks beer, 5-6 bottles per day. As Carithers & McClain (2010) explained the patient’s medical history is another indicator of the risk for cirrhosis; the progression to cirrhosis is adaptable and may take time over weeks or many years. Cirrhosis is a liver disease characterized by permanent scarring of the

Heart failure is term that is used to describe the heart’s inability to work efficiently as a pump. In order to decipher if an individual is likely to have heart failure is through their health history. Common backgrounds associated are diabetes mellitus, kidney dysfunction, hypertension, chronic lung disease, angina, myocardial infarction, and ischemic heart disease (Kirk, 2011). It is accompanied by shortness of breath on exertion, decreased exercise tolerance, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, orthopnea, ankle swelling, sudden weight gain, lack of appetite or nausea and difficulty concentrating (Kirk, 2011). In worsening conditions it could progress to fluid buildup, rapid or irregular heartbeat, chest pains , and sudden

In the valvular disease the regurgitation of blood back to the ventricles occurs when the valves fail to close tightly and this will result in ventricular overload and increased muscle stretching. This increases the heart muscles need for oxygen and energy resulting in the cardiac muscles to contract harder (Karch, 2013). The failure of the left ventricle to pump efficiently will lead to pulmonary vessel congestion and in severe cases, pulmonary edema whereas the inefficient pumping of right ventricle will lead to liver congestion and peripheral edema (edema of the legs and feet). The cardiovascular system works as a closed system and therefore, if one-sided failure left untreated, will eventually lead to failure of both sides (Karch, 2013). The American College of Cardiology (ACC)/ American Heart Association (AHA) has incorporated a classification system of heart failure that include four stages. This staging system (stage A to stage D) recognizes that there are established risk factors and structural abnormalities that are characteristics of the four stages of heart failure.

Heart failure may be right sided or left sided (or both). In LV failure, the most common symptoms are dyspnea, reflecting pulmonary congestion, and fatigue, reflecting low CO, tachycardia and tachypnea may also occur. Dyspnea usually occurs during exertion and is relieved by rest. Patients with severe LV failure may appear visibly dyspneic or cyanotic, hypotensive, and confused or agitated because of hypoxia and poor cerebral perfusion. Some of these less specific symptoms (eg, confusion) are more common in the elderly 1.

Heart failure describes the heart’s inability to function properly, meaning the heart is unable to pump efficiently throughout the body. Thus causing the heart to work extra hard in order to compensate the body’s needs, but this ultimately leads to failure. And due to Mrs. Harris’s hypertension and alcohol consumption, she is now displaying signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure, as both are major risk factors. Heart failure can be seen in the left side, which is also known as congestive heart failure, and the right side of heart. The left side is typically the first side to fail, as the left ventricle is the heart’s largest chamber and the most powerful.

Characterized by progressive tissue injury and scarring, cirrhosis is among the leading causes of chronic liver failure in the United States. Recent research conducted by the National Institutes of Health indicated that the prevalence of cirrhosis, especially in clients diagnosed with Hepatitis C, has increased steadily throughout the past decade and will likely continue to increase in the future (Kanwal et al., 2011). Caused by recurrent tissue damage and inflammation, cirrhosis occurs as healthy hepatocytes (liver cells) are replaced by fibrotic and non-functional scar tissue through natural healing processes. Although liver tissue is normally very resilient, sustained injury eventually

Chronic liver failure from an inability for the organ to repair itself from repeated injury and scarring that remains permanent. Alcoholic liver disease is the 2nd most common diagnoses for liver transplant, however many candidates must abstain from alcohol for a required period in addition to adhering to an abuse program. Metabolic liver disease is a non- alcoholic steatohepatitis where inflammation and scarring can occur from a development of fatty liver not related to alcohol but rather obesity or disorders such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia. Autoimmune liver disease or (AIH) autoimmune hepatitis where the patient’s own immune needs to be suppressed to prevent destruction of the liver (Tan, 730). Vascular liver disease results in poor blood flow or clotting of hepatic veins and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in which liver transplantation will unquestionably cure HCC so long that the cancer does not spread beyond the liver (Bryce,

It is important to rule out common causes of liver injury, such as alcohol, drug use, and viral hepatitis as well as other co-existing etiologies for chronic liver disease including alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, hemochromatosis, autoimmune liver disease (types 1 and 2), chronic viral hepatitis, and Wilson’s disease