Heart Failure Essay

Heart failure may convey that the heart isn’t working anymore, but what it really means is that the heart isn’t pumping as well as it should be (REF). Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen (REF). At first, the heart tries to make up for this by enlarging, developing more muscle mass, and pumping faster. As this happens, the blood vessels narrow to keep blood pressure up and the body diverts blood away from less important tissues and organs to maintain flow to the heart and brain (REF). Eventually, the body and heart cannot keep up and the patient begins to feel fatigue, breathing problems, weight gain with swelling in the feet, legs, ankles or stomach, and other symptoms that eventually leads to a hospital visit. The body’s coping mechanisms give us better understanding on why many are unaware of their condition until years after the heart declines (REF).

Systolic heart failure is characterized by enlarged ventricles that are unable to fully contract to pump enough blood into circulation to adequately perfuse tissues. The enlargement in ventricles is due to an increased end-systolic volume. If the heart is not able to sufficiently pump the expected volume of blood with each contraction, which in a normal healthy heart is 50-60%, there will be a residual volume left in the heart after every pump (Heart Healthy Women, 2012). With the next period of filling, the heart will receive the same amount of blood volume from the atria combined with that residual volume from the previous contraction. This causes the ventricles to have to dilate to accommodate this increase in volume. The dilation causes the walls of the ventricles to stretch and become thin and weak. Also the myocardium, the muscle layer of the heart, will stretch and not be able to adequately make a full and forceful enough contraction to push blood from the ventricles (Lehne, 2010).

Heart Failure is a progressive heart disease when the muscle of the heart is weakened so that it cannot pump blood as it should; the blood backs up into the blood vessels around the lungs and the other parts of the body (NHS Choice, 2015). In heart failure, the heart is not able to maintain a normal range cardiac output to meet the metabolic needs of the body (Kemp and Conte, 2012). Heart failure is a major worldwide public health problem, it is the end stage of heart disease and it could lead to high mortality. At present, heart failure is usually associated with old age, given the dramatic increase in the population of older people (ACCF/AHA, 2013). In the USA, there are about 5.7 million adults who have heart failure, about half of the people die within 5 years of diagnosis, and it costs the nation an estimated $30.7 billion each year (ACCF/AHA, 2013).

A literature review of nurse – guided patient –centered heart failure education programs reveal that several studies have recommended strategies to promote improved outcomes for heart failure patients by placing emphasis on education focused on promoting patient self-care management in regards to diet, exercise, weight monitoring, and medication adherence (Baptiste, Mark, Groff-Paris, & Taylor, 2014, p. 53). Heart failure self-care refers to all of the practices in which patients engage to maintain their own health and the decisions that they make about managing signs and symptoms. Hospital initiatives working to improve heart failure readmission rates should implement a patient education program that focuses on self-care. To make it easier to manage the heart failure population at any given time, all patients presenting with heart failure should be admitted to a specific inpatient ward, and daily nursing huddles should be utilized in order to identify heart failure patients. All heart failure patients should be educated by the nursing staff throughout their stay by specialty nurse educators who are themselves educated on heart failure treatments and protocols. The research concluded that implementing standardized patient education programs that focus on self-care management

Heart failure affects nearly 6 million Americans. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65. Roughly 550,000 people are diagnosed with heart failure each year (Emory Healthcare, 2014). Heart failure is a pathologic state where the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the demand of the body’s metabolic needs or when the ventricle’s ability to fill is impaired. It is not a disease, but rather a complex clinical syndrome. The symptoms of heart failure come from pulmonary vascular congestion and inadequate perfusion of the systemic circulation. Individuals experience orthopnea,

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) core measures in relation to Heart Failure (HF) was examined using empirical-based nursing research. Findings suggest that lack of understanding by nurses contributes significantly to the privation of core measure implementation. A significant number of Americans suffer from HF, so patient quality of care assessment was necessitated. Identifying factors were: nurse-patient education resulting in follow-up appointments, left ventricular performance or left ventricular systolic (LVS) function, treatment medications, and smoking cessation programs. Nurses provide an important role in the education of patients with HF. The Nurse is integral in providing documentation in relation to LVS. Nurses play an important role in the administration of HF medication. Smoking, a major cause of HF, requires special nursing intervention. Nursing results in improved quality of care if HF core measures are implemented properly. Additionally, Orem’s universal requisites are fundamental in the nursing process.

There are many causes for heart failure. The most common cause is coronary heart disease (Moore and Roth, 2015). CHD is a disease in which the coronary arteries are blocked, preventing the heart muscles from getting the oxygenated blood they need. Heart failure can be caused by other present or past conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal heart valves, diseased heart muscle, irregular heartbeats, heart defects, serious lung disease, poisons or substance abuse, and sleep apnea (Heart Failure Overview).

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.

PICOT question: In elderly patient with congestive heart failure, how adequate multidisciplinary education compare with lack of education could reduce hospital readmission rates over a 6-month period? The research questions are: Does multidisciplinary education help elderly patient with CHF to adequately manage the disease at home? Does improve knowledge in the disease could decrease hospital readmissions in CHF patient? The hypothesis states that multidisciplinary approach and proper patient education will decrease readmission rate in elderly patients with CHF. The purpose of the study seeks to articulate the problem of lack of education for older patients with congestive heart failure regarding how to manage

Heart failure (HF) is a debilitating condition that has become a public health problem. There are many debilitating effects of HF for many people that have to live with this disease. According to Hardin and Hussey (2003), recognize inadequate patient education, poor symptom control, and insufficient social support as factors that contribute to preventable HF related hospitalizations (p.p.74). Many people are frequently hospitalized because of HF exacerbation related to lack of knowledge, poor quality of life and medication non adherence. This research proposal determines the effect of Advance Practice Nurse led telephone intervention in the community and how their phone calls would improve the outcomes of patients with Heart Failure. This proposal identifies variables and measurement levels, research methodology and conclusion. The results of the research studies will support the idea that Advanced practice nurses has a positive impact on patients with HF, decreasing HF related hospital admissions and improving their quality of life.

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

According to the American Heart Association (2015), heart failure is defined as “a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through to meet the body 's needs for blood and oxygen. Basically, the heart can 't keep up with its workload”. Congestive heart failure is a progressive illness that effects millions of Americans every year. Many other illnesses can lead to the development of congestive heart failure. Examples of these diseases include: coronary artery disease, past heart attack, high blood pressure, abnormal heart valve, heart muscle disease such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy or inflammation such as myocarditis, congenital heart disease, severe lung disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma. (American Heart Association, 2015 (Centers for

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.

Sanford, J., et al. (2011). A Process of Decision Making by Caregivers of Family Members With Heart Failure. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice: AN International Journal. 25 (1): 55-70.

As the population ages heart failure is expected to increase exceptionally. About twenty-two percent of men and forty-four percent of women will develop heart failure within six years of having a heart attack. “Thirty years ago patients would have died from their heart attacks!” (Couzens)