Medical Surgical Nursing ~A BROKEN TICKER! What is CHF (Congestive Heart Failure)?

CHF is when the heart can't pump blood to the body efficiently to meet the body's needs. 

The heart doesn't literally implode upon itself. The heart does not pump well enough to get enough blood and oxygen to the body. 

Terms: Heart failure (HF) and Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) are the same things. Heart failure is the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the oxygen demands of the tissue. Acute and Chronic heart failure have been replaced with CHF.  Acute HF is, the short-term condition, and Chronic HF, is the long-term condition. 

What are the Primary Causes of Heart Failure? 

• Coronary Artery Disease
• Hypertension/High Blood pressure
• Rheumatic Heart Disease
• Pulmonary Hypertension
• Cardiomyopathy 
• Hyperthyroidism
• Valvular Disorders (mitral stenosis) 
• Myocarditis

What are conditions that can trigger Heart Failure?

• Anemia
• Infection
• Hypothyroidism
• Dysrhythmia
• Bacterial Endocarditis
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Paget's disease
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Hypervolemia

Types of Heart Failure? 

Heart failure happens when ventricles of the heart fail. Usually, both ventricles of the heart will pump in a synchronized way and produce blood flow through the body. When a patient has heart failure the ventricles of the heart won't pump properly and the body won't get sufficient blood flow. 

• Left-Sided Heart Failure
• Right-Sided Heart Failure 

What are some signs and symptoms of Heart Failure? 

First you must know if it is left or right sided heart failure. The symptoms will vary. If the patient has left sided heart failure they will have lung problems with the patient has right sided heart failure they will have problems all over the body. 

Think of the flow of blood through the heart. 

Blood Flow Through the Heart

Veins-takes blood to the heart because it needs oxygen

Arteries- take blood away from the heart to give the body oxygen

Valves- prevent back flow of blood

Deoxygenated blood comes from the veins and enters the right atrium then goes through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle then through the pulmonary valve and bifurcates into the left and right pulmonary arteries and picks up oxygen and carbon dioxide from the lungs.

Blood comes back into the left atrium to through the mitral or Bicuspid valve into the left ventricle and through the aortic valve and through the aorta to the rest of the body 

Left-Sided HF Signs 

• Pulmonary congestion (excess pressure in the lungs)  
• Pulmonary Edema (fluid in the lungs) 

Right-Sided HF Signs

The primary cause of right-sided HF is left-sided HF. 

• Jugular vein distention (JVD) 
• Hepatomegaly (enlarged liver) 
• Splenomegaly (enlarged spleen) 
• Peripheral edema (swelling over the entire body) 

Awesome Facts about the Heart! 

• The heart does the most work more than any other muscle in your body throughout your lifetime
• A woman's heart naturally beats faster than a man's 
• A woman is more likely to get heart disease in her later years
• People with a college education are less likely to get heart disease
• The heart valves opening and closing is what makes the beating sound