Life with Heart Failure
What is the first disease that you think of when asked? Of all the diseases that could be mentioned Heart Failure, HF, is one that many have heard of or that has affected a loved one. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “heart failure affects nearly 5.1 million Americans of all ages and is responsible for more hospitalizations than all forms of cancer combined. It is the number 1 cause of hospitalization for Medicare patients and this process can begin early in adulthood from poor diets and smoking habits.” HF may go undetected by the client months after the disease starts, which leaves little options for treatment when symptoms are prevalent. As with any disease process early teaching from a healthcare professional could make the difference between an active lifestyle to one that is hindered by several health complications.
Heart Failure is a disease process that is characterized by the heart not being able to meet the demands of the circulatory system; therefore vital system organs do not get the required perfusion as one would see in a person in good health and this will also affect the heart. Heart failure is more prevalent in blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans, which are the same groups that are at risk for hypertension and diabetes. Long-term uncontrolled hypertension and diabetic clients’ have a higher likelihood of developing HF. Other causes of HF are obesity, smoking, obstructive sleep apnea, HIV infection and AIDs and/or recent myocardial infarction. The symptoms of heart failure correlate with the severity of the disease. The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, dyspnea, fatigue and/or tiredness that usually is seen upon exertion, edema, paroxysmal nocturnal...
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...disease process can be estimated regardless of what person it affects but as healthcare providers we have to figure out what is important to the client, if they will be able to carry out the necessary steps to be successful, etc. Therefore the healthcare team has to be just as dedicated to that client’s recovery as much as the client is, this could be the missing link in many communities.
With active participation from clients and their healthcare provider the incidence of heart failure could see a sharp decrease of reported cases. With heart failure developing into a life-threating disease by being compounded by other uncontrolled diseases or by lifestyle habits of clients, education and options that fit clients’ lifestyles will be the deciding factor in seeing decreases instead of the steady increase of heart failure that as a community is all to familiar.
When we see patients, we must remember that we are not simply treating a disease. We are caring for people with lives, hobbies, jobs, families, and friends, who are likely in a very vulnerable position. We must ensure that we use the status of physicians to benefit patients first and foremost, and do what we promised to when we entered the profession: provide care and improve quality of life, and hopefully leave the world a little better than it was
It occurs because of repetitive electrical activity. This can occur in a patient with early or late heart failure, because there is damage to the heart tissue and the heart beats faster to try to supply the body with blood. Recommended treatment is elective cardioversion. Drugs used include an antidysrhythmic such as Mexitil or Sotalol (Ignatavicius &Workman, p. 728-729).
Heart disease is one of the most common causes of the mortality and morbidity in most well developed countries. They come in different forms such as stroke and other cardiovascular diseases and it’s the number one cause of death in the state of America. In the year 2011 alone nearly 787,000 people were killed as a result of this epidemic. And this included Hispanic, Africans, whites and Americans. As for the Asian Americans or pacific Islanders, American Indians and the natives of Alaska, the concept to them was a second only to cancer. However, statistics has proved that a person gets heart attack every 34 seconds and in every 60 seconds, someone dies out of it which include other related event. Additionally, majority of the women are the
The systematic review indicated (1) ‘Case management interventions were associated with reduction in all-cause mortality at 12 months follow up, but not at six months’. (Takenda, et al, 2012) The systematic review also went on to state that while case management interventions were not associated with reduced mortality, case management interventions were indicated to reduce the occurrence of patients presenting to hospital with exasperations of chronic heart failure. The benefits of case management based interventions were apparent after 12 months had lapsed. Six of the twenty five studies assessed (2) heart failure clinics, and the evidence for this intervention was less convincing with the review stating ‘there was no real difference in all-cause mortality, readmissions for HF or between patients who attended a clinic and those who received usual care’. (Takenda, et al., 2012)
...y hired nurses on the heart failure floor since discharge education remains one of the responsibilities. I believe knowledge is an important factor to empower the patients about heart failure care and nurses spend nearly 24 hours a day with hospitalized patients; therefore, nurses can be patient advocates by reinforcing teaching. Most importantly, I believe that catering to the patient’s individual needs and establishing a good nurse-patient relationship enhances trust and learning which in the long run, is very beneficial to both nursing practice and the quality of life of the patient. Overall, what I discovered about heart failure is that there is no simple solution in preventing heart failure hospital readmission. Even with the recommended evidence-based practice suggestions, hospital readmission rates for HF still seem to remain high throughout the country.
In conclusion, Leonard, M et al (2004) point out that The complexities of patient care, coupled with the inherent limitations of human performance, make it critically important that the multi-disciplinary teams have standardised communication tools. looking back over Mrs X’s journey along this pathway. It was unquestionably the exemplary teamwork and communication, that were so fundamental in providing the holistic care that Mrs X needed. The responsibility and roles of the multi-disciplinary team were varied and often overlapped within the theatre suite. The team members had differing and varying levels of experience and expertise, but combined these when working together to care for Mrs X.
Congestive Heart Failure is when the heart's pumping power is weaker than normal. It does not mean the heart has stopped working. The blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, and pressure in the heart increases. This means; the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body's needs. The chambers of the heart respond by stretching to hold more blood to pump through the body or by becoming more stiff and thickened. This only keeps the blood moving for a short while. The heart muscle walls weaken and are unable to pump as strongly. This makes the kidneys respond by causing the body to retain fluid and sodium. When the body builds up with fluids, it becomes congested. Many conditions can cause heart failure, and they are Coronary artery disease, Heart attack, Cardiomyopathy, and conditions that overwork the heart.
Since 1960 the age-adjusted mortality rates for cardiovascular disease (CVD) has declined steadily in the U.S. due to multiple factors, but still remains one of the primary causes of morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Greater control of risk factors and improved treatments for cardiovascular disease has significantly contributed to this decline (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). In the U.S. alone it claims approximately 830,000 each year and accounts for 1/6 of all deaths under the age of 65 (Weiss and Lonnquist, 2011). Based on the 2007 mortality rate data an average of 1 death every 37 seconds is due to cardiovascular disease (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2009). Controlling and reducing risk factors is crucial for saving lives. There are a number of contributing risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which may appear in the form of hereditary, behavioral, and psychological, all of which ultimately converge in social or cultural factors.
The best way to prevent heart failure is to minimize the risks that cause it and to control existing health problems that are related to the condition such as high blood pressure and diabetes. If a person does happen to have heart failure there are many medications and treatments that can help control the disease and help the patient continue to live as normal of a life as possible. After being discharged from the hospital Mr. Carver will have to be aware of his condition at all times and take the proper measures to keep himself healthy. He will have to make many life changes and continue to keep up on any appointments made to make sure his condition is under control. With the proper understanding and management of his disease, Mr. Carver will be in a good condition to resume his life as before.
“Heart failure is among the most common diagnoses in hospitalized adults in the United States” (Cole
One of the leading causes of death in the United States is heart disease. “Approximately every 29 seconds one American will have a heart attack, and once a minute one American will die from a heart attack” (Ford-Martin and Odle, 915). According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine men over the age of 45 and women over the age of 55 are considered at risk for heart disease. Heart disease is a major cause of death. It is beneficial to individuals who seek to prevent heart disease to recognize the risks leading to heart attacks as they are one of the primary indications of developing heart disease; especially those that fall into the at risk age groups. These risks consist of some that cannot be changed such as heredity risks, or those that can change such as smoking habits. It is very important to know these specific risks for prevention and to understand the symptoms of heart attacks, such as sweating or the feeling of weakness so if these or other symptoms occur people are aware. Finally heart disease treatment is of vital importance if you experience a heart attack so you can learn how to prevent another one from occurring.
Some of the reasons for the increase in the cost of health care are: third party payments; imperfect market; technology growth, increase in the number of elderly population; current medical model of health care delivery; multi payer system and administrative cost; defensive medicine. One societal issue that healthcare organizations must respond is the high healthcare cost. The high healthcare cost is the reason of increasing burdens of many Americans. A survey was done by Henry Kaiser Family Foundation and learned that 58 percent of people did not seek treatment that they needed because of the rising healthcare cost (Huff/Post50, 2012). Healthcare organization can help with the issue by supporting their community thru social support, education of preventive benefits, health promotion, health management, counseling, and person centered planning. The second societal issue is the healthcare availability. Disparities in healthcare access remain a problem in America. Healthcare organization can help people in the community thru education and behavioral healthcare. According to Wyland (2014), chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and substance use disorders are behaviorally based, necessitating recurring instead of acute intervention to be treated successfully. Educational and community based programs play an important role in preventing disease and injury, improving health, and enhancing quality of life. Everyone have personal responsibility in one’s own health through active participation, education, and lifestyle change (Harkness & DeMarco, 2016). The third issue is the healthcare equity. The reason of gaps in the quality of care is due to the inability of healthcare organizations to integrate improvement measures into the process of care (Mayberry, Nicewander, Qin, & Ballard, 2006). It is important to ensure that care is accessible and
The chronic care model calls for an organizational change in the way individuals with illnesses are cared for, and the involvement of nurses, social workers and patients themselves. The challenge is moving in an effective way of improving quality from research carried out predominantly in health maintenance organizations to the mainstream of health care practice (Wielawski, 2006). Wagner’s explanation is to substitute the customary physician-centric office structure with one that supports clinical teamwork in association with the patient. The notion spreads outside the health care organization to collaborative associations in the community. Wagner et al. (2001) termed this approach the “chronic care model.” With this model, physicians, nurses, case managers, dieticians, and patient educators
At the beginning of the summer of 2014, my mother became tragically ill after a hectic emergency room visit. Afterwards, extensive testing revealed that she had several serious medical conditions including atrial fibrillation, mitral valve disease ,and congestive heart failure. After her stay in the hospital, she was sent home with new medications and assured that her conditions could be easily managed. A short amount
As the client attempts to cope with the circumstance, various aspects of his life may be affected. In some way, the coping response of an individual to a health-related concern may be related to his Quality of Life