Heart failure

Table of contents

Introduction Symptoms
03
Diagnosis Treatment

05 06
Patient’s profile Discussion
01
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

Introduction
backs up and fluid can build up in
the lungs, causing shortness of
breath.
Certain heart conditions, such as
narrowed arteries in the heart
(coronary artery disease) or high
blood pressure, gradually leave the
heart too weak or stiff to fill and
pump blood properly.
02 Main symptoms
Breathlessness Fatigue Oedema
this may occur after you may feel swollen ankles and
activity or at rest; it tired most of the time legs; it may be better
may be worse when and find exercise in the morning and
you're lying down, exhausting get worse later in the
and you may wake up day
at night needing to
catch your breath
 ECG

03 Diagnosis
this records the
electrical activity
of your heart to
check for
problems

Blood tests
to check whether there's
anything in your blood
that might indicate heart
failure or another illness
Echocardiogram
a type of ultrasound scan where
sound waves are used to examine
your heart

A chest X-ray
to check whether your heart's bigger Breathing test
than it should be, whether there's fluid common tests
in your lungs (a sign of heart failure), include spirometry and
or whether a lung condition could be a peak flow test
causing your symptoms
Stages of heart failure
4 stages

03
Comfortable
You don't have at rest, but
any symptoms normal It's difficult to Shortness of
during normal physical complete breath occurs
physical activity everyday even at rest.
activity triggers activities.
symptoms
04 Treatment
healthy medication devices surgery
lifestyle implanted in
changes your chest to
control your
heart rhythm
05 Patient’s profile
•Name: Emily Smith
•Age: 58
•Gender: female
•Weight: 70 kg
•Height:1,68 m
•Occupation: accountant
•Main complaints: shortness of
breath when climbing stairs,
fatigue, swelling around the
ankles
06 Discussion
Patient: Yes. I am an accountant, so I work 9 to 5, five days a week. Other than that, I
don’t have much of a social life. There is the weekly brunch with the girls and sometimes
me and my husband do date nights when we go out and spoil ourselves.
Doctor: I am glad to hear that. Do you drink or smoke? How about exercising?
Patient: I don’t smoke anymore. I used to smoke all through my 30s and 40s, but when I
turned 50 I quit. I don’t drink, maybe a glass of wine on date nights and I am not a fan of
physical activity, so no exercising for me.
Doctor: I see. Well, from what you described to me, it seems like you have some kind of a
heart condition, but to be sure we will need to do some blood test, an ECG, a coronary
angiogram and some breathing tests. Would you be able to come back tomorrow
morning and do all of them?
Patient: Of course. Is 8 o’clock good?
Doctor: Perfect. Until tomorrow morning, try to find out if other family members suffer of
something similar.
Patient: Okay. See you in the morning, doctor! Have nice day!
Doctor: You too! Goodbye, Ms. Smith!
The blood work
The ECG
The coronary angiography and the spiromerty test
Next morning, after all the testing was done
Doctor: First of all, I have to ask about your family. Did you find any members that have
the same problems as you?
Patient: Yes, actually. My mother told me that both her and her brother have been
diagnosed with heart failure. Apparently that is the reason my uncle died last year. It
was to late to help him.
Doctor: Unfortunately, that is your diagnosis too. The good news is that you came
earlier to seek treatment so we will be able to keep it under control.
Patient: Oh, well I guess I could call myself lucky. So tell me doctor, what will be the
treatment?
Doctor: The treatment will consist of some pills that will thin your blood, others that
will help your blood vessels relax and lastly some diuretics. All of these will keep your
blood pressure low and will help your heart do its job without the extra work that it
does now. You will also have to start exercising about four days a week, but keept it
light, like long walks or even some pilates.
Patient: Okay, I got it. I really hope I will be able to stay on track with
everything.
Doctor: I really hope so too. Otherwise, we will be forced to put you on
stronger medication or even perform sugery and that is something I
really want avoid. I want to schedule a check up 3 months from now and
see how the treatment works or if it needs adjustments. Is that okay with
you?
Patient: Yes. I guess I will see you in three months. Thank you so much,
Doctor Jones! Goodbye!
Doctor: Goodbye, Ms. Smith! See you in three months!
References