Left Sided Heart Failure

To understand the signs and symptoms of left-sided versus right-sided heart failure, remember that left-sided signs and symptoms are found in the lungs. Left begins with L, as does lung. Any signs and symptoms not related to the lungs are caused by right-sided failure (Williams and Hopper). Some signs and symptoms of heart failure are shortness of breath (dyspnea), fatigue, chronic cough or wheezing, rapid or irregular heartbeat, lack of appetite or nausea, mental confusion or impaired thinking, fluid buildup and swelling, and rapid weight gain, and the need to urinate more at night. In order to determine heart failure the physician will do a diagnostic test which includes a chest x-ray, echocardiogram, ejection fraction (EF), and electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG).

Congestive 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

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. Basically, the heart can 't keep up with its workload. American Heart Association Statistics (2016) reveals that heart failure accounts for 36% of cardiovascular disease deaths. Projections report a 46% increase in the prevalence of Heart Failure (HF) by 2030 by affecting over 8 million people above 18 years with the disease. Healthy People 2020 goals are focused on attaining high quality longer lives free of preventable diseases, promotion of quality of life, healthy development and healthy behaviors across all stages of life (Healthy People 2020, 2015).

Prevention of CHF Exacerbation Related to Lack of Adherence with Diet and Fluid Restrictions Heart failure is when the heart cannot keep up with the immense demands placed on it by the body, and it starts to compensate causing remodeling of the cardiac cells due to stronger cardiac contractions. The heart chambers expand so they can fill with more blood to pump to the rest of the body, and the heart rate will increase to meet these demands (American Heart Association, 2015). Heart failure is the inability of the heart to fill and pump effectively enough to meet the metabolic demands of the body resulting in pulmonary and venous congestion (Lam et al., 2007). Over time the body can no longer compensate, and the person becomes symptomatic and progresses into worsening heart failure. The pulmonary and venous congestion or “fluid overload” will manifest itself in the form of lower extremity edema, shortness of breath, fatigue and even chest pain, which interferes with quality of life (Colucci, 2015).

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.

Diagnosis: Left-Sided Heart Failure Left-sided heart failure is the most common type of heart failure, and it is a result of left-ventricular dysfunction. This disease poses a significant threat to patients because the primary function of the left side of the heart is to provide sufficient oxygenated blood to satisfy the metabolic demands of the body’s cells. Understanding the main function of this portion of the heart will help with the understanding of other complications associated with this diseased. Left-sided heart failure is usually the result of the loss of heart muscle function, specifically in the left ventricle secondary to coronary artery disease, prolonged hypertension, or myocardial infection (Lewis et al. 2014, 766). The

The heart’s moves oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the left atrium onto the left ventricle which then pumps it to the rest of the body. The left ventricle generates the heart’s pumping power therefore it is larger than the other chambers. In left-sided heart failure, the left side of

Right-sided heart failure can be ruled in. When the heart is backed up it produces an overload of fluid in the lungs and entire body. As fluid accumulates in the lungs it can cause chest tightness, sob, jugular vein distention and coughing which produces a pink frothy colored sputum in which patient is positive for. Although this diagnosis has strong symptomology the BNP is normal and the diagnosis of Heart failure may be ruled out. (Dunphy & Winland-Brown,

Left-sided heart failure results from the inability of the left ventricle to function properly. 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).

A 72-year-old male patient is being seen for a hospital follow-up visit. He was discharged 1 week ago after a 3-day stay for an exacerbation of congestive heart failure. He has a history of CAD and dilated cardiomyopathy, with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 0.30 (30%). You note

• Sinus venosus defects which are located at the junction of the superior/inferior caval veins • Coronary sinus defects. While coronary sinuses are not true defects in the atrial Exertional dyspnoea and fatigue are the most common symptoms. These are caused by a left-to-right shunt, when the connection between the two atria allows blood to pass from the left side of the heart to the right. This occurs because the pressure in the left side of the heart is naturally higher than the right. The extra blood from the left atrium overloads the right atrium and the right ventricle, causing right heart dilation, and subsequent heart failure (5). If left untreated, patients can develop reversal of the ASD, resulting in a right to left shunt; this is known as Eisenmenger’s syndrome. Other complications include atrial tachyarrhythmias or stroke (21, 22).

Heart failure is a disease that affects one of every five people in the world. There is no cure for this disease but there are many ways to help keep it under control and live a healthy life. Heart failure is the inability of the heart muscle to pump blood

Abstract: 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 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.

Introduction Heart failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality affecting all Western countries and represents a significant economic, social and healthcare burden.(1) Approximately 1-2% of the population of the developed world has been diagnosed with clinically significant heart failure, a gross underestimation. (2) Depending on how the condition is defined, recent population studies estimate that between 3% and 9% of the adult population are affected by overt symptoms of heart failure.(3) An additional and similar proportion of individuals surveyed exhibit a pre-clinical “silent” left ventricular dysfunction. (3) The incidence of which rises sharply among persons 70 years of age and older.(4) In the United States, estimates place