In congestive heart failure (CHF), the heart is unable to pump the necessary amount of blood throughout the body. This causes blood to back up in the veins. Fluid pools in the liver and lungs. Swelling occurs first in the feet, ankles, and legs. Then the swelling occurs throughout the body as the kidneys begin to retain fluid.
Causes include:
Risk factors include:
Symptoms include:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. In particular, the physical exam will include:
Tests may include:
Treatments include:
CHF may be caused by another condition. Treating the other condition should improve or cure your CHF.
Medications include:
This is a mechanical pump that can be implanted in your chest. It temporarily assists the heart's pumping. The pump may take over the function of either or both ventricles. Initially it has been used only for patients awaiting heart transplant. In recent years it has emerged as possible long-term treatment for some patients.
This is a surgical procedure in which a muscle from the back is removed and wrapped around the heart. A mechanical device stimulates the transplanted muscle to squeeze the heart, thus assisting the heart's pumping action.
Patients with heart failure are more prone to certain heart arrhythmias that put them at risk for sudden cardiac death. ICDs are implanted in those patients to prevent such arrhythmias from occurring.
Some patients with heart failure benefit from a specific type of electrical stimulation to the ventricles. This allows the ventricles to contract in a synchronized matter. It can improve CHF symptoms.
This is reserved for the most severe cases of CHF.
To prevent CHF or to prevent the condition from worsening:
RESOURCES:
American Academy of Family Physicians
http://familydoctor.org/
American College of Cardiology
http://www.acc.org/
American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
About Kids Health
http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
http://ww2.heartandstroke.ca/
References:
ACC/AHA Practice Guidelines. American College of Cardiology website. Available at: http://www.acc.org/qualityandscience/clinical/guidelines/news/hf.htm . Accessed July 16, 2008.
Congestive heart failure. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4585 . Accessed July 16, 2008.
Dambro MR. Griffith's 5-Minute Clinical Consult. 2001 ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;2001.
Heart pumps. Mayo Clinic website. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-failure/HB00076 . Accessed on Accessed July 16, 2008.
Hunt, SA, Abraham, WT, Chin, MH, et al. ACC/AHA 2005 Guideline Update for the Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation . 2005; 112:e154.
Hunt SA, Baker DW, Chin MH, et al. ACC/AHA guidelines for the evaluation and management of chronic heart failure in the adult. American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) . 2001 Sep;56.
Paterna S, Parrinello G, Cannizzaro S, et al. Medium term effects of different dosage of diuretic, sodium, and fluid administration on neurohormonal and clinical outcome in patients with recently compensated heart failure. Am J Cardiol. 2009;103:93-102. Epub 2008 Oct 17.
What is heart failure? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hf/HF_WhatIs.html . Accessed July 16, 2008.
*¹4/16/2009 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php : Nilsson BB, Westheim A, Risberg MA. Effects of group-based high-intensity aerobic interval training in patients with chronic heart failure. Am J Cardiol. 2008 Nov 15;102:1361-1365. Epub 2008 Sep 11.
Last reviewed February 2009 by Igor Puzanov, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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