Congestive heart failure overview: Difference between revisions
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==Overview of Congestive Heart Failure== | ==Overview of Congestive Heart Failure== | ||
Heart failure is any condition of the heart that results in the inability of the heart to meet the demands of circulation causing insufficient blood flow. It is also defined as a complex clinical syndrome due to abnormalities of the cardiac structure and/or the function that impairs the left ventricle from filling or ejecting blood. | |||
The classic symptoms of heart failure include [[dyspnea]], [[fatigue]], and fluid retention. | |||
Heart failure could result from an abnormality of any one of the anatomical structures of the heart; the pericardium, myocardium, endocardium or great vessels. Heart failure was once thought to be secondary to depressed left ventricular ejection fraction. However, studies have shown that approximately 50% of patients who are diagnosed with heart failure have normal ejection fraction. Patients may be broadly classified as having heart failure with depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (systolic dysfunction) or normal/preserved ejection fraction (diastolic dysfunction). systolic and diastolic dysfunction commonly occur in conjunction. | |||
Patients with heart failure present in different ways. Some patients present with exercise intolerance but show little evidence of congestion or edema. Other patients present with mild symptoms of edema and congestion. Congestive heart failure is a outdated term use in the past because a majority of patients with heart failure were edematous or "fluid overloaded". However, with the current medical and device therapy techniques most patients are euvolemic therefore, the term "congestive heart failure" does not encompass the entirety of the disease presentation. | |||
Heart failure is not synonymous with cardiomyopathy or left ventricular dysfunction, the latter terms are used to describe structural or functional abnormality that could lead to heart failure.Heart failure is as clinical syndrome | |||
Heart failure is not synonymous with cardiomyopathy or left ventricular dysfunction, the latter terms are used to describe a structural or functional abnormality that could lead to heart failure. Heart failure is as clinical syndrome characterized by specific symptoms(dysnea and fatigue) and signs(rales) upon physical examination. There is no single test to diagnose heart failure. It is largely a clinical diagnosis based on careful patient history review and physical examination. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 16:03, 28 June 2011
| Congestive Heart Failure Microchapters |
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Pathophysiology |
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Differentiating Congestive heart failure from other Diseases |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Medical Therapy: |
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Surgical Therapy: |
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ACC/AHA Guideline Recommendations
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Specific Groups: |
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Congestive heart failure overview On the Web |
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Directions to Hospitals Treating Congestive heart failure overview |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Congestive heart failure overview |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Associate Editor-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]; Saleh El Dassouki, M.D [3], Atif Mohammad, MD
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Overview of Congestive Heart Failure
Heart failure is any condition of the heart that results in the inability of the heart to meet the demands of circulation causing insufficient blood flow. It is also defined as a complex clinical syndrome due to abnormalities of the cardiac structure and/or the function that impairs the left ventricle from filling or ejecting blood.
The classic symptoms of heart failure include dyspnea, fatigue, and fluid retention.
Heart failure could result from an abnormality of any one of the anatomical structures of the heart; the pericardium, myocardium, endocardium or great vessels. Heart failure was once thought to be secondary to depressed left ventricular ejection fraction. However, studies have shown that approximately 50% of patients who are diagnosed with heart failure have normal ejection fraction. Patients may be broadly classified as having heart failure with depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (systolic dysfunction) or normal/preserved ejection fraction (diastolic dysfunction). systolic and diastolic dysfunction commonly occur in conjunction.
Patients with heart failure present in different ways. Some patients present with exercise intolerance but show little evidence of congestion or edema. Other patients present with mild symptoms of edema and congestion. Congestive heart failure is a outdated term use in the past because a majority of patients with heart failure were edematous or "fluid overloaded". However, with the current medical and device therapy techniques most patients are euvolemic therefore, the term "congestive heart failure" does not encompass the entirety of the disease presentation.
Heart failure is not synonymous with cardiomyopathy or left ventricular dysfunction, the latter terms are used to describe a structural or functional abnormality that could lead to heart failure. Heart failure is as clinical syndrome characterized by specific symptoms(dysnea and fatigue) and signs(rales) upon physical examination. There is no single test to diagnose heart failure. It is largely a clinical diagnosis based on careful patient history review and physical examination.