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The Failure Of Heart Failure

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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

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