What are common presentations of someone in CHF?
The common symptoms of congestive heart failure include fatigue, dyspnoea, swollen ankles, and exercise intolerance, or symptoms that relate to the underlying cause. The accuracy of diagnosis by presenting clinical features alone, however, is often inadequate, particularly in women and elderly or obese patients.
What is the clinical definition of heart failure?
Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen. Basically, the heart can’t keep up with its workload.
What is the most common clinical presentation of right sided heart failure?
Fluid retention causing swelling in the lower limbs and sometimes the abdomen is a common and obvious symptom of right-sided heart failure, but there are several other symptoms that may develop: shortness of breath, especially when lying flat. coughing. dizziness.
Is CHF a clinical diagnosis?
Heart failure is a common clinical syndrome characterized by dyspnea, fatigue, and signs of volume overload, which may include peripheral edema and pulmonary rales. Heart failure has high morbidity and mortality rates, especially in older persons.
What is meant by clinical manifestations?
A clinical manifestation is the physical result of some type of illness or infection. The opportunistic infections associated with HIV include any of the infections that are part of an AIDS-defining classification.
What does CHF mean in medical terms?
Heart failure — sometimes known as congestive heart failure — occurs when the heart muscle doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. When this happens, blood often backs up and fluid can build up in the lungs, causing shortness of breath.
What is the difference between heart failure and congestive heart failure?
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic progressive condition that affects the pumping power of your heart muscle. While often referred to simply as heart failure, CHF specifically refers to the stage in which fluid builds up within the heart and causes it to pump inefficiently.
What should you assess for CHF?
Assessment of CHF:
- Vital Signs. Baseline vital signs are important here as well as for our other assessments, including an apical pulse; history is also important.
- Cardiovascular. Assess heart rhythm, and strength of the heartbeat.
- Respiratory. Assess lung sounds for congestion, rales.
- General Medical.
What tests are done to diagnose CHF?
Diagnostic tests for congestive heart failure may include:
- Resting or exercise electrocardiogram (also known as EKG, ECG, or stress test)
- Echocardiogram.
- Computed tomography (CT) scan.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan.
- Biopsy or catheterization of the heart and arteries.
What are the signs of CHF?
The symptoms of CHF vary greatly depending on the stage, and whether a person has any other medical conditions. However, common symptoms include: swelling in the legs and feet caused by a buildup of excess fluid. bloating. shortness of breath. fatigue. nausea. chest pain.
What is standard treatment for CHF?
Heart transplantation is an appropriate treatment for some people with severe CHF. This is most often considered in people under age 70 who do not have significant disease of other organs. Mechanical assist devices, like ventricular assist devices, have also been developed to take over part of the heart’s pump function.
Is it CHF or COPD?
COPD is a lung condition while CHF is a chronic weakness of the heart that can have systemic implications. With careful treatment and a change in lifestyle, COPD can be treated or managed to the point that symptoms recede considerably. CHF cannot be reversed, although medication and healthy choices may improve quality of life.
Does chest pain common with CHF?
Internal Medicine 30 years experience CHF: Chest pain may be present in CHF depending on the cause, such as coronary artery disease. There are several causes of chf, and also many causes of chest pain. You should discuss both of these with your physician who can examine you to define both conditions.