Heart Failure PowerPoint

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and definitions related to heart failure, focusing on functions, mechanisms, and pathophysiology.

Heart Failure

A condition where the heart cannot meet the body's metabolic demands due to complex dysfunction of cardiac pumping mechanisms.

Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF)

A measure of the percentage of blood leaving the heart each time it contracts; normal is 60-70%, while less than 40% indicates compromised function.

PAC-Man

An acronym representing the three primary factors affecting cardiac output: Preload, Afterload, and Contractility.

Preload

The amount of blood filling the heart per beat; influences stroke volume through the Frank-Starling mechanism.

Afterload

The resistance the heart must pump against; affected by factors like hypertension and aortic stenosis.

Contractility

The strength of the heart's contraction, influenced by myocardial strength and the availability of calcium.

Chronotropic Function

Controls the heart rate through regulatory mechanisms in the nervous system.

Inotropic Function

Determines the strength of the heart's contraction, influenced by calcium availability and myocardial response.

RAAS System

A hormonal system that increases afterload through vasoconstriction and promotes fluid retention, impacting preload.

Natriuretic Peptides

Hormones released in response to heart wall stretching; help reduce blood volume and are markers for heart failure diagnosis.

Systolic Dysfunction

A type of heart failure where the heart cannot contract forcefully enough, leading to reduced ejection fraction.

Diastolic Dysfunction

A type of heart failure where the heart cannot relax or fill properly, despite having normal ejection fraction values.

Starling Forces

Capillary forces governing fluid movement; hydrostatic pressure promotes filtration while oncotic pressure encourages absorption.

Cardiac Output

The amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute, essential for tissue perfusion.

Left vs Right Ventricular Failure

Left-sided failure involves blood backing up into the lungs, while right-sided failure causes blood backup into systemic circulation.

Volume Overload

A pathological state leading to impaired filling and reduced cardiac output efficiency due to excessive fluid volume.