Heart Failure is a Major Health Concern

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,

• What is the role of specialist heart failure nurses in the interdisciplinary team in managing improving outcomes of heart failure patients?

with advancing heart failure based in a North West hospital. In order to abide by the Nursing Midwifery Councils Code of Conduct (NMC), throughout this assignment the patient will be referred to as ‘Patient Y’ this is ensure that her true identity remains private. The assignment will begin by giving a brief overview of the patients past medical history, including biological and psychological factors that could have exacerbated the illness, it will then conclude by explaining the condition in further depth, incorporating all relevant details to the case.

Heart failure-is the main focus of this project and is when the pumping action of the heart cannot supply enough blood to the rest of the body as a result of damaged cardiac tissue in the heart specifically.

It is quite recognized in nursing that most heart failure patients do not take proper care of their heart failure once returning home from a stay at the hospital. They are reluctant to change their years of dietary and poor activity habits, and do not follow up with their physicians as they are directed to. Their desire to read all of the provided information is frowned upon as being too much, especially with the additional verbal information they receive from their doctors, nurses, and dieticians while in the hospital. It has been observed that the patient needs a simpler method of managing their heart failure at home. With this in mind, the goal of this project is to recognize that the patient is the primary stakeholder whom needs an easy to read and follow set of instructions that they will use to help them manage their heart failure throughout the day. A Heart Failure Quick Reference Tool (see Appendix A for heart failure tool steps) and nurse teaching materials were researched and developed, and a select number of nurses were educated. Though the information was well received by the patients and staff, the given amount of time available to

Heart failure is a debilitating syndrome that has driven up health care costs (O’Donovan, 2014). Therefore, making heart failure one of the most expensive chronic diseases. Heart failure is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the U.S. It is the only cardiovascular disorder that is increasing in both incidence and prevalence (Park, Wortmann, & Edmondson, 2011). The current treatment for heart failure is known to improve survival, but the quality of life may be compromised. Routine implementation of clinical guidelines may lead to a standardization of care, which could affect the patient-centered care that is needed in today’s healthcare (Sanders, Harrison, & Checkland, 2010). It is imperative that each patient’s care plan be

Abate, Zucconi, and Boxer (2011) acknowledge that chronic heart failure is very common and a costly disease. The American Heart Association (n.d.) states that heart failure is one of the most common reasons people 65 and older go to the hospital, therefore, promoting ways to manage the disease and live a better life. Abate et al. (2011) knowing that early ambulation has been proven to have a positive impact on patients; lead them to combine it with canine assisted ambulation to further increase chronic heart failure patients outcomes in a study. They were looking to improve patient’s social and emotional states, shorten their length of stay in the hospital, and get them moving more. Sixty-nine hospitalized patients diagnosed with heart failure

Chronic heart failure is a disease that restricts the quality of life and causes symptoms such as dyspnea and peripheral edema. The daily activities of patients with CHF are often limited and it can cause significant problems socially, physically, and emotionally. The disease usually is accompanied by clinical depression. There is little known about the specific needs of a CHF patients who suffers from depression. A research study was done on 85 patients with CHF to identify the preferences and concerns in regards to psychosocial treatments. A three month study was done to determine what type of treatments patients would be more willing to do. 64.7% of patients preferred supportive talks and low threshold services while only 31.4% wanted

Congestive heart failure (CHF), also called chronic heart failure or congestive cardiac failure (CCF) is a clinical condition where heart muscle is weakened and cannot pump the blood as well as the normal heart. The ventricle, also known as main pumping chamber of the heart become larger or thicker which leads to inability to contract or relax as it should. “There is no universally agreed definition of heart failure (Denolin et al., 1983). It is the consequence of cardiac disease, diagnosis is clinically based on sign and symptoms manifested due to circulatory and neuro-hormonal response to cardiac dysfunction is heart failure (Poole-Wilson). The major and escalating public health problem in developed and industrialized country with aging population is congestive heart failure. According to Gaves (1991), the indication for hospitalization among adult over 65years of age is congestive heart failure. Over the past two decades admission rate to treat this condition have exponentially increased (Ghali et al., 1990). The quality and quantity of life of the patient of CHF is robbed (McMurry et al., 1998; McMurry & Stewart, 2000; Petrie & McMurry, 2001; Murdoch & McMurry, 2000). The epidemiology of the heart failure remain vast and inadequate. The rate of cardiovascular disease in Australia is highest comparison to rest of the world, despite of its significant advancement and progress in health industry, out of this sizeable portion of group is represented by heart

Patients with heart failure (HF) experience an inability of the heart to effectively pump and thus circulate blood through the body. It is estimated that 5.8 million people in the United States alone have HF and it is one of the most common reasons for hospitalizations over the age of 65 (Hall, Levant, & DeFrances, 2012). It can have a devastating impact on the lives of these patients who experience many hospitalizations due to the overwhelming amount of complications associated with this chronic disease causing decreased life expectancy and lower perceived quality of life. CITATION HERE The key to increasing the life expectancy is through frequent monitoring, traditionally at an office. Many patients with HF are often impeded

Congestive heart failure, also called heart failure or CHF, is one of the fastest-growing syndromes in the United States and worldwide. It is a condition with high hospitalization and high mortality rates as well as a compound medical regimen that significantly affects the patient’s lifestyle and that of their family. The term alone, “heart failure”, is enough to scare the bravest client and cause the rise of numberless concerns and questions. Patients may worry and exclaim, “Did my heart stop working? Am I going to die?” Because of the complexity of congestive heart failure and how fatal it may become when it is not well managed, a thorough understanding of the disease process and of evidence-based management guidelines is necessary in order for the nurse practitioner to adequately care for, reassure, and educate the CHF patient, their caregiver and family. This paper aims at providing an overview of heart failure as well as giving the clinician the foundational tools necessary to help improve the quality of life of CHF patients and prolong their days. We will cover the two main types of heart failure (left-sided and right-sided), with a brief look at CHF sub-classifications, systolic and diastolic CHF. We will seek to explain the etiology, pathology, clinical manifestations of this condition as well as explore the current diagnostic tools and pharmaceutical treatments available across the lifespan. We will also look at the dynamic role of the nurse practitioner

Heart failure is one of the leading causes of mortality, both globally and in New Zealand. It is defined as the inability of the heart to meet the bodies metabolic need for oxygen and is characterised by a decrease in cardiac output. The body has many intrinsic mechanisms to attempt to maintain cardiac output, including activating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). The RAAS cascade acts to restore cardiac output by increasing fluid retention, thus increasing blood volume and pressure. Unfortunately, in decompensated heart failure, this is not enough to re-establish cardiac output, causing the action of this system to be upregulated and blood volume to increase further. This is detrimental to the already failing heart. A new drug, aliskiren, affects the pathophysiology of hypertension and heart failure by directly inhibiting renin, a mechanism that is distinct from current therapeutic agents that also target the RAAS, such as ACE inhibitors and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers. This gives potential benefits by blocking the RAAS further upstream. However, clinical trials have failed to demonstrate the predicted benefits of aliskiren. Taking this into consideration, there is a strong possibility for development of further direct renin inhibiting agents displaying a higher potential therapeutic index for the treatment of hypertension and heart failure. In order to thoroughly discuss the potential benefits of aliskiren in relation to hypertension and heart

Heart failure is a chronic and progressive disease process that involves weakening of the heart. A weak heart cannot adequately pump oxygenated blood to the body’s tissues. The reduction of the oxygenated blood to the body triggers mechanisms in the body to compensate for decreased blood flow. First, the baroreceptors within the heart detect decreased blood flow which signals the sympathetic nervous system. This triggers a release of epinephrine and norepinephrine causes an increase in heart rate as well as vasconstriction. The renal system responds by releasing renin which activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system which causes sodium and water retention to increase blood volume. Unfortunately, this is a vicious cycle that intends to help the heart but ultimately weakens it causing hypertrophy of heart muscle and various symptoms. Since this disease cannot be cured, the treatment involves delaying the progression of disease and treating the symptoms. Heart failure is the most common reason for hospitalization in those over 65 due to exacerbations and progression of the condition. (Hinkle & Cheever, 2014)

Millions of people are affected by heart failure each year worldwide, and yet we still haven’t established a treatment to cure it. However, somebody now has. A student at Harvard University named Ellen Roche has come up with a device that hugs the heart to keep the heart pumping blood. The device is a soft robotic sheath that insures the heart and helps it pump by putting on the pressure. The most astonishing thing about this device is that it never comes in direct contact with the blood, unlike other devices that come in contact with the blood which create complications such as strokes or blood clots. The device acts as a glove, and is made out of elastic silicone which lets it mimic the flexibility of an actual heart muscle. So, where is

Cardiovascular diseases are prominent health issues in Jamaica, causing increased deaths and huge costs for the society. According to WHO, about 17 million deaths have been recorded from cardiovascular diseases and 32 million people are suffering from heart stroke every year (Madu E., 2014). The primary risk factors which associated with the CVDs are unhealthy diet, harmful alcohol consumption, increased use of tobacco and physical inactivity. These risk factors can control by promotion of healthy diet, creating awareness on physical activities, restriction on alcohol and tobacco consumption, thereby decrease mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases. State funding to communities and primary care centers for the development of healthcare services can control the deaths associated with cardiovascular diseases.