The heart is one of the most vital organs in the body, it supplied all organs and tissue with blood, heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to do this effectively. As healthcare professionals, including paramedics, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment of a patient suffering from heart failure. This article will enhance the knowledge of the reader surrounding heart failure so that patient care can be optimal.
Pathophysiology:
Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to supply enough oxygen to meet the body’s demands. Two common causes of heart failure are reduced contractibility and ventricular remodelling. Reduced contractibility is a result of heart attacks or chronic high blood pressure, infections, toxic substances, and genetic factors. These factors contribute to the heart's physical inability to pump enough blood, resulting in a weak heart muscle. Ventricular remodelling refers to the walls of the thickening of the ventricle (ventricular hypertrophy), as a result of the extra pressure placed on the heart, the heart muscle has grown, and though this is beneficial initially, over time it weakens the hearts’ function. Heart failure can be broken into two subtypes, left-sided heart failure and right-sided heart failure. Left-sided heart failure is a result of the pathophysiology already discussed, while right-sided heart failure is a result of this side trying to compensate for the workload that the left side was unable to do (right-sided heart failure is a result of left-sided heart failure). in short, heart failure is the inefficiency of the heart's ability to pump and deliver the necessary blood to the body.
Signs and Symptoms:
Heart failure is a result of several symptoms with each of the following differing in severity:
- Dyspnoea (shortness of breath)
- Fatigue and weakness
- Oedema in the lower limbs and sometimes the abdomen
- Rapid/irregular heartbeat
- Persistent cough
- Nausea
- Weight gain
- Insomnia
- Cold/ clammy skin
Treatment:
The treatment for heart failure will depend on the severity of the patient’s symptoms, in some circumstances the clinician may be able to simply transport the patient to the hospital while only continuously monitoring vital signs, but in other circumstances, medications and medical intervention may be required. Medications to consider are aspirin, an anti-platelet that reduces platelet aggravation, an underlying condition that may be resulting in the patient's heart failure. glyceryl trinitrate is another medication to consider if the patient has high blood pressure, this drug is also a vasodilator, therefore it will expand venous blood capacity, reducing the work the heart will have to do to pump blood. Finally, if the patient is in pain consider administrating fentanyl or use clinical reasoning to give drugs accordingly. In conclusion, the important thing to do with the patient is to manage vital signs and transport them to the appropriate medical facility for the best care.
Heart failure is a serious medical condition that, left untreated results in serious medical deficits and potentially death. Though heart failure is a primary health concern, consider investigating further in the primary and secondary surveys to examine for an underlying medical condition causing heart failure. Overall, heart failure is a treatable medical condition, given clinicians acknowledge, treatment and transport in an efficient manner.
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