Severe Heart Failure

Ellyn Bache once said, “It’s normal to shy away from illness and death. It’s natural to gravitate toward laughter and life.” My dad has congestive heart failure, which is normally not considered a terminal disease, but his stage of failure is. He had his first heart attack when I was 8 years old. He was in and out of the hospital quite often. My dad had his second heart attack the summer after my 6th-grade year when I was twelve. He was in California, visiting his mother before she died. He had a heart attack and a stroke and was in the hospital for 52 days before we were able to go out to California and visit him. By the time we got there, almost all his bodily systems had shut down. He had frontal lobe brain damage, which made him unable to recognize my

The prevalence of congestive heart failure is on the increase both in the United States and all over the world, and it is the leading cause of hospitalization in the elderly population. Congestive heart failure is a progressive disease generally seen in the elderly, which if not properly managed, can lead to repeated hospital admissions or death. Heart failure means that the heart muscle is weakened. A weakened heart muscle may not be strong enough to pump an adequate amount of blood out of its chambers. To compensate for its diminished pumping capacity, the heart may enlarge. Commonly, the heart's pumping inefficiency causes a buildup of blood in the

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).

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).

The heart is an organ that pumps oxygenated blood to the body and deoxygenated blood to the lungs. Heart failure is when the heart can’t pump blood very well. If the heart fails to work properly, a major system called the circulatory system won’t work properly and therefore the whole human body will fail to work properly because the cells won’t be able get oxygenated blood and use the oxygen to undergo cellular respiration and make energy.

Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition that is responsible for the highest number of hospitalizations among adults. Readmission rates after hospitalization also remain high, with 50% of patients being readmitted within 6 months of discharge. (Desai & Stevenson, 2012). The Affordable Care Act penalizes hospitals with readmissions within 30 days after discharge, making readmissions a focus of hospitals nationwide. Several factors including discharge planning, patient education, diet restrictions, and early follow up appointments can help to reduce readmissions, but continuous monitoring is necessary to catch early signs of decompensation. (Desai & Stevenson, 2012).

My roommate asked me to drive him to the hospital to visit his mother. He did not have a vehicle and I was his only way to the hospital. I was wholly aware that by taking him to the hospital my academics would suffer, but this was never truly a choice. Taking care of people, demonstrating compassion, and caring for those who are closest to me has been a priority of mine since my upbringing. I drove my roommate to the hospital and was with him while his mother suddenly fell critically ill, and eventually passed away. She always invited me over for “family” dinners, especially during the holidays, since I couldn’t always make it home due to work. Although it was difficult to cope, I was presented with the opportunity to demonstrate the compassion she had shown me so many times, by helping my friend. We sat in her room reminiscing, crying, at times in silence, and eventually saying our goodbyes. Our friendship, and my perspective were altered permanently that day. This experience not only illuminated the profound effects of compassion, but also demonstrated what it means to be a community member. Being a community member encourages us to support others when they need it most, even if it entails personal sacrifices. We are all humans, we share over 99% of our genome, and everyone deserved to be treated with compassion and

Nearly everyone knows something about heart disease. From high blood pressure & cholesterol to bypass surgery to heart attacks, heart disease is top-of-mind for most older adults and their loved ones. However, one lesser-known area of heart disease is congestive heart failure.

My own loss sparked a desire to help others through tough times. I therefore began volunteering at the Orlando Regional Medical Center, where I consoled people going through those times, and let them disclose their feelings with tears and words the way I needed to when I was in their shoes. Unfortunately, I also met people who were dying and had no visitors to support them through their death. For instance, I visited a woman on several occasions and shared a few laughs and stories with her. She ultimately died from C. difficile over a period of three weeks in the hospital. At those moments, I was glad patients like her had someone with them, even if I was a stranger to them. Still, there were much happier occasions where families learned their sons and daughters and parents were alive, recovering, or asking for their company. Through all this, I recognized the fear and pain they felt, and helped them move forward. Care, compassion, and empathy are all

Approximately 2-3 million Americans, more than one percent of the population, are currently affected by this medical problem with numbers increasing frequently (Drug Store News, 1997). Congestive heart failure tends to be more common in the elderly, men, and also African Americans. Congestive heart failure has become the most common cause for current hospital admissions. Among causing prolonged hospital stays congestive heart failure has a very high mortality rate, which has declined since recent medical advancements.

Acute-decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is one of the most frequent diagnoses in patients who attend emergency departments (EDs) worldwide, especially in Western countries1,2. In Spain, ADHF constitutes the leading cause of medical hospitalization through EDs3. Despite the substantial resource and economic implications of hospitalization, the final decision of emergency physicians to admit ADHF patients mainly relies on their subjective and personal clinical experience rather than on objective-supported evidence4,5. This decision is complex and challenging, as a wide spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from minor forms of decompensation to life-threatening illness can be observed in ADHF, and these are often complicated by the presence

Almost every one in the United States knows a person suffering from congestive heart failure. This disease has manifested its way into the lives of so many—the statistics are astounding. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, nearly 5 million people are affected and it is the main reason for hospital admission in older adults over the age of 65. This is a great cause for concern. In order to reduce the morbidity and control this epidemic, we must first understand the risks and causes of this condition. It is of the upmost importance to first understand the risks and causes of this condition. Education plays a key role in order to recognize the clinical manifestations and necessary actions to best treat

"Congestive Heart Failure is the Inability of the heart to maintain the demands of pumping blood with normal efficiency to other organs, such as the brain, liver, and kidneys" (Congestive heart failure, 2008). Without the heart carrying out its functions, all the organs in the body would be deprived of sufficient blood to do its work, the kidney will no longer filter its blood leading to fluid accumulation in areas such as the lungs, liver, legs, and surrounding eye, when this happens, it is called congestive heart failure. "Cardiomyopathy is a situation where there are changes in the heart muscle which prevent part or all the heart from contracting normally" ("Cardiomyopathy,” 2013). This situation could be acquired or inherited problem of the heart muscles resulting in thickness or expansion of the heart making it difficult to pump required blood that the body needed. In this paper, the writer would have the opportunity to discuss the best approach to care that Mr. P battling cardiomyopathy and CHF deserve, the treatment and education he needed that would help him, the method of education, and the teaching care plan.

Acutely decompensated congestive heart failure is a common presentation of patients presenting to the emergency department. Typically these patients present with shortness of breath and significant pulmonary edema. Traditionally the initial treatment in such patients has consisted of intravenous diuretics (1). This has been the mainstay of treatment for decades but may not be the most effective means of treating these patients (2). For a condition that accounts for 800,000 emergency department visits per year, it is surprising that so little research has been done in the recent years regarding the most effective treatment for acute decompensated heart failure (1). The persistent theory that the first line treatment for these

Our current study demonstrates that among hospitalized HF patients, 2179 (32%) had traditional AKI (rise in serum creatinine by >=0.3 mg/dl) and 789 (12%) of hospitalized HF patients developed reverse AKI (drop in serum creatinine by >=0.3 mg/dl). The change in serum creatinine of greater than or equal to 0.3mg/dl was associated with higher 30-day all-cause readmission and mortality. Interestingly, reverse AKI group was also associated with higher 30-day all-cause readmission and mortality. To our knowledge this is the first study that reports 30-day all cause readmission and mortality by serial changes in serum creatinine in hospitalized HF patients. There is a need for increased awareness regarding this particular subset of patients.