...Congestive Heart Failure Armi Gonzales Western Governors University Congestive Heart Failure A. Investigated Disease Process Congestive Heart Failure is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump a sufficient amount of blood for the body to function. If the heart’s ability to pump blood decreases, blood and fluids may start to pool into the lungs and accumulate in the legs, ankles, and feet causing an edema, shortness of breath, and fatigue. (Heart Failure, 2015, para. 2) The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology defines heart failure as “a complex clinical syndrome that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the ventricles to fill with or eject blood” (King, Kingery, & Casey, 2012, p. 1). Heart failure can be seen as a widespread disease, affecting around five million Americans. (Titler et al. n.d.) It is a chronic condition that is disabling and costly and common to our aging population. With the advancement in therapy and early diagnosis, survival increases from previously fatal acute cardiac events to patients feeling better and living longer. Millions of Americans living with heart failure are 65 years of age or older. (Roger et al, 2004) A1. Pathophysiology The Circulatory system focuses on the heart, a muscular organ that pumps blood through a complex network of blood vessels throughout the body. Blood that is pumped from the heart carries oxygen and nutrients that fuel...
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...Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure Nicole Martin North Island College Congestive Heart Failure Left heat failure, also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is an imbalance in pump function in which the heart is failing and unable to do its work pumping enough blood to meet the needs of the body’s other organs. CHF is commonly thought of as a disease but in fact is a syndrome. A syndrome as defined by Mosby’s Dictionary, as “a complex of signs and symptoms resulting from a common cause or appearing in combination, to present a clinical picture of a disease or inherited abnormality” (Mosby, 2009). Heart failure usually develops slowly, often over years, as the heart gradually loses its pumping ability and works less efficiently. CHF affects individuals in different ways and to different degrees. It is usually a chronic disease and gradually becomes worse over time. Many people are not even aware of their condition until symptoms appear years after the heart began its decline. There are many causes, risk factors, and signs & symptoms that help determine if someone is at risk of developing CHF or already living with CHF. Nearly 500,000 Canadians are currently living with the condition, with 50,000 new cases diagnosed each year. With such high numbers of people diagnosed with CHF, I believe as a future nurse it will be beneficial to have a greater understanding as to how CHF develops, how it is treated, and how it is management. Etiology The etiology...
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...Heart failure or Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Heart failure does not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. It means that your heart is not able to pump blood the way it should. It can affect one or both sides of the heart ("Congestive Heart Failure | Heart Failure | CHF | MedlinePlus," 2017). Heart failure is a collection of signs and symptoms reflecting a physiologic change in the hearts ability to keep up with demand. Heart failure is considered a global pandemic and is a complex disease that oftentimes is progressive. Heart failure is often associated with underlying coronary atherosclerosis, and its associated risks, including...
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...Robert great summarization post of congestive heart failure, my grandfather had congestive heart failure so I know first hand the effects it has on a person’s life. I thought it was very interesting that you pointed out one the first symptoms being not able to exercise without experiencing discomfort because not many individuals think of that as being a symptom they go to the go to symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing, and fatigue. In the beginning, before my grandfather was diagnosed with congestive heart failure he experienced difficulties lying down flat. Lying down flat causes parts of the lung to be in a more ¬¬¬dependent position. Another symptom to keep in mind for an individual with congestive heart failure is waking up with severe shortness of breath, and immediately needing to sit up to get their breath, and this is known as “paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea”. The reason why there is a fluid build is when the heart’s output decreases; the body tries to compensate for it by releasing hormones that make the heart beat faster and stronger. This reflex though is only a short-term gain, and in the long run it really damages the heart’s function. The kidneys also sense the heart’s decrease in blood output, and they release hormones into the body, which cause sodium and...
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...head: EDUCATION AND CONGESTIV HEART FAILURE How does patient education affect compliance with Congestive Heart Failure? How does patient education affect compliance with Congestive Heart Failure? How does education affect compliance with congestive heart failure? I have chosen this topic because congestive heart failure is a disease process that continues to grow throughout our communities. These patients tend to be readmitted into the hospital frequently due to noncompliance. Problem Identification Education of congestive heart failure is one of society’s largest challenges. The need to focus on compliance of treatment plan, self management, and patient education of this disease process is essential for favorable outcomes. The articles chosen for the information retrieval paper were located on line at the University of Texas at Arlington library in the CINHL database. These articles were written between the years of 2006 and 2009. All three articles were peer reviewed. While searching the data base for articles, information regarding education, compliance, and outcomes was a key focus. The articles were chosen for their content related to the education process of the patient with congestive heart failure and how compliance would affect outcomes. The knowledge of congestive heart failure of the medical professional was also explored. Summary of Articles First article Congestive heart failure is a debilitating and chronic...
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...Ellen Diane Windham 11/8/15 Case Study: CHF Helen Montgomery * An 83-year-old female presents to ambulance crew after an episode of sudden weakness. A GP is on scene and has assessed the patient, deciding on hospital admission by ambulance as a matter of urgency. History Patient became very weak and was put to bed by NOK. Her breathing became very laboured and the NOK called for the local GP out-of-hours service to attend. The doctor was on scene within 15 minutes, and upon assessing the patient requested an ambulance transfer to the ED. Initial Clinical Findings * Airway – clear & patent * C Spine – not indicated (MOI/NOI: episode of weakness) * Breathing – tachypnoeic * Circulation – Pulse present, irregular, tachycardic; skin colour normal, cap refill normal * Disability – No LOC before ambulance arrival, patient responding to verbal stimuli Clinical Impression * ? Exacerbation of CHF * ? CVA * ? Post-seizure AMPLE History * A – Allergic to penicillin * M – Currently taking Warfarin, Furosemide * P – History of CVA x 1 year, CHF * L – Last oral intake 7pm the evening previous * E – Son stated patient became very weak before going to bed Observations * Pulse rate 110bpm * Pulse rhythm Irregular * ECG rate 116 * ECG rhythm A Fib * Resp rate 24 per...
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...Prevention of Hospital Readmissions Related to Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure NRS 441V Professional Capstone March 1, 2014 Abstract Providing patients diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure effective teaching can eliminate reoccurring hospitalizations. Patients are discharged with CHF and readmitted within 30 days. The information provided will examine the process of enhancing patient knowledge and provide additional resources essential for effective health care management. Research evidence provides data that proves patients who are diagnosed with CHF needs a variety of health care needs during admission and after discharge. The proposal will display an evaluation plan, implementation plan and a dissemination of the evidence. Provide at least 1 evidence based literature; for at least 1 evidence based solution. Keywords: congestive heart failure, therapy, education, patient outcomes Description of the Problem Prevention of Hospital Readmissions Related to Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure Health care providers must ensure skills, knowledge and teaching is effective when providing care to their patients and families about symptoms of CHF. The length of stay for an average hospital visit can be two days however, for more chronic issues warrant an even longer stay. To avoid readmission of the disease processes of CHF warrants additional care and resources during and after discharge. . Some patients cannot follow up with their primary care physician because...
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...As we all know the heart is the most important organ of the body. The heart does many amazing things through its four chambers and two ventricles. The most important functions the heart does is pumping blood and oxygen through our body. Those two functions are what keeps us alive and breathing. A person's most important goal should be to remain healthy in order to avoid any type of health issues. However, most people don't really realize the health issues that can occur in your heart when your health is not up to par. One of the most common health issues regarding the heart is congestive heart failure. This health issue occurs when the right ventricle has difficulty pumping blood to your lungs. When a ventricle has difficulty pumping, the blood backs up in your blood vessels causing fluid retention in lower extremities, abdomen, lungs, and kidneys. It is possible to have left-sided and right-sided congestive heart failure at the same time. CHF can be deadly if the main cause of the disease is not treated. Symptoms of congestive heart failure can be excess urination at night, chest pains, shortness of breath, swollen feet or legs, bloating, palpitations, Persistent coughing, or fatigue....
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...1. Clinical Question: Select a health-related topic applicable to your practice setting and formulate a clinical question, using the PICO (T) format. Please type the question here: Are patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) less likely to be readmitted if involved in an in home monitoring program? 2. Identify the PICO (T) Terms: P - Patients with CHF I - In Home Monitoring C - No in Home Monitoring O - Decreased Readmission T - 5 Years from 2009-2013 3. Search: PubMed/MEDLINE Go to MEDLINE at http://www.pubmed.gov and conduct a search on your clinical question. Please type your search history in the table below: Search Number | P | I | C | O | T | # of Results | Notes | 1 | Congestive Heart Failure | | | | | 33058 | I typed “congestive heart failure” in the search field and clicked ‘Search’. | 2 | | Home Monitoring | | | | 1077 | I cleared the search field and typed in “home monitoring” and clicked ‘Search’. | 3 | | | | Decreased Readmission | | 11954 | I cleared the search and typed in readmission instead of decreased readmission to widen my search results and clicked ‘Search’. | 4 | #1 | #2 | | #3 | | 40 | I then clicked ‘Advanced Search’ and combined Searches #1, #2, and #3 using the Boolean operator “AND”. I then clicked ‘Search’. | 5 | #1 | #2 | | #3 | 5 years | 22 | I chose to further the search by retrieving only current articles, so I used the same ‘Advanced Search’ from 4 but then clicked on ‘Limits’ and...
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...NRS-427V March 20, 2015 Jen Costello Community Teaching Plan: Teaching Experience Paper Community health nurses have the distinctive ability and knowledge to provide teaching on various health topics within the community. For this teaching experience, this writer chose a home health center which allowed this writer to gather a group of patients 65 years and older, who have been diagnosed with CHF and teach them about heart failure management and how to prevent hospital readmissions. Congestive heart failure is an illness that effects millions each year and with proper management, individuals can still lead a productive life. Prior to the teaching presentation, a community teaching work plan proposal was developed which helped create an outline for the teaching lesson. This paper will review the teaching plan, the epidemiological rational related to CHF, evaluate the teaching experience, how the community responded, and what the strengths of the teaching plan were and areas that need improvement. Summary of teaching plan Teaching about congestive heart failure management and how to prevent returning to the hospital for complications related to CHF, is an important topic to discuss and educate the community about, especially the elderly. The teaching plan developed by this writer estimated the teaching time to last 30 minutes and would take place at Victory Home Care. Between the cost of paper and ink to make the pamphlet for educational handout and cookies, juice, and coffee...
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...Educating Congestive Heart Failure Patients Cynthia Jones The University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing In partial fulfillment of the requirements of N3645 Cynthia Jones, RN October 1, 2012 Online RN-BSN Educating Congestive Heart Patients In comparison to the general population, the quality of life for patients with congestive heart failure is greatly impaired until patients are educated on the signs, symptoms and treatment of congestive heart failure. How can nurses use non-physical aspects of nursing to assist congestive heart failure patients improve their quality of life and decrease hospital visits? Patients with congestive heart failure receive physical aspects for treating the disease with the use of medications and surgery, but if patients were educated on the signs and symptoms at the onset of heart failure, outcomes should improve. When researching articles for information regarding congestive heart patients, I searched for articles in The Journal of American College of Cardiology, The Journal of Family Social Work, and the International Journal of Nursing Technologies and Classifications. I decided on these articles because they were published in reputable journals and provide correlations to the research question. In the first article seventy-six caregivers of patients with congestive heart failure used The McMaster Model of Family functioning (problem solving, communication, roles, affective responsiveness and affective...
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...problems” (Chesnay & Anderson, 2012). The first theorist is Lydia Hall’s care, cure, and core theory. It refers to patients as having three needs of care: the physical, the medical, and the social needs. Nurses can easily provide the care, cure, and core theory to meet the needs of patients with congestive heart failure. Nurses using Lydia Hall’s theory assist with education, medical management, and provide physical, emotional or social support for congestive heart failure patients. The medical management and education offered by nurses increase patients knowledge, and the ability to manage their disease. They can prevent exacerbations, and reduce hospital readmissions (Davood, 2009). The care model dominates when nurses provide hands on care to the heart failure patients produces an environment of comfort and trust. It promotes open communication between nurses and patients. Open communication encourages the patient to express thoughts of fear and decrease their anxiety. Patients develop feelings of security and verbalize concerns of their disease management, emotional, and social issues in relation to the lifestyle changes they experiencing secondary to congestive heart failure (Davood, 2009). The cure model is noticed when nurses perform physical assessments and care management plans...
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...to make sure the precious time these patients have left is not spent at a hospital. Elderly readmission rate is unusually high, especially when it comes to the readmission rate of elderly patients with congestive heart failure, thus there must be ways to counteract the high volume of readmission rates amongst the elderly and lower it. The research study by Rich and Beckham used a multidisciplinary approach to treat the elderly patients, who are recovering from congestive heart failures, which might be able to significantly reduce the rate of readmission for elderly patients at high risk (Rich and Beckham 1995). Rich and Beckham conducted the study by first gathering the elderly patients who are at high risk for readmission post congestive heart failure which ending up being 1306 patients. The patients were then randomly assigned to whether they will receive the special treatment or the ordinary treatment by use of a computer random selective system. Detailed data were collected at the time of enrollment, 90 days after they were discharged, and whenever a patient was rehospitalized during the 90 time period (Rich and Beckham 1995). The results of this study show that with an effective multidisciplinary approach readmission rates for elderly patients with congestive heart failures will significantly drop. The research conducted by Rich and Beckham can be used in hospitals, and everyday nursing practice. The study indicates that a multidisciplinary approach will drop readmission...
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...sudden onset of severe shortness of breath. Felt as though she wasn’t moving any air. Patient called 911. The paramedics on scene established IV access and medicated patient with 40 of furosemide and Nitroglycerin sublingual 0.4 mg times 3 doses. Patient was placed on CPAP and brought to the ER. Upon arrival CPAP was continued, a nitroglycerin infusion was started at 20mcg/min. Additional IV access was established and labs were obtained. Stat EKG and Chest Xray were completed. Additional dose of furosemide 80mg was administered IV push and patient was provided with an indwelling foley catheter which is draining clear yellow urine. Past Medical History is significant for Hypertension, Diabetes, Congestive Heart failure, and Atrial Fibrillation with two unsuccessful cardioversions. Medications: Patient currently taking Furosemide, Lisinopril, Digoxin, Metformin, and Glyburide. Patient unable to recall dosages. Past Surgical History is significant for cesarian sections x 3 and ORIF of left hip 8 years ago. Social History: Patient is a 1 pack per day smoker x 40 years. Consumes alcohol on a social basis. Denies using any illicit drugs. Patient is a retired secretary. Patient lives in the community and attends church regularly....
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...Nursing Theory Plan of Care Nur/513 May 16, 2011 Introduction Nursing theories describe and explain the phenomena of interest to nursing in a systematic way in order to provide understanding for use in nursing practice and research. Nursing theories provide a framework for nurses to systematize their nursing actions: what to ask, what to observe, what to focus on and what to think about. They provide a framework to develop new and validate current knowledge. Researchers use nursing theories to define commonalities of the variables in a stated field of inquiry, guide nursing research and actions, predict practice outcomes, and predict client response. Analysis of the Congruence and Theoretical Statements Henderson define nursing as helping people, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health and its recovery that they would perform unaided if they had the necessary strength, will or knowledge (Fitzpatrick & Whall, 2005). It is the function of nurses to help people become independent as rapidly as possible. She saw how nursing could focus on the patient and on developing a good nurse-patient relationship. She believed that the patient-focused nursing was the most beneficial kind of nursing. Henderson emphasized the use of nursing care plan. To develop effective care plan, collection of necessary information is important. She developed the 14 Basic Needs in her Theory (Fitzpatrick & Whall, 2005) as basis of individualized nursing...
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