Heart Failure

Flashcards for the pathophysiology of Heart Failure

Cardiac Output

The volume of blood ejected by the left ventricle per minute

Stroke Volume

Blood ejected per beat by the left ventricle

Preload

End-diastolic ventricular filling/stretching

Afterload

Resistance ventricle must overcome to eject blood

Contractility

Intrinsic myocardial ability to contract

Systole

Ventricles Contracting

Diastole

Ventricles Relaxing

Ejection Fraction

The amount of blood pumped out of the ventricle divided by the total amount of blood in the ventricle

Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF)

volume of blood pumped with each ventricular contraction

• 60-70% of blood volume in the left ventricle is pumped out with each contraction

Heart Failure (HF)

Impaired function of the heart that is classified by the ejection fraction (EF)

Systolic HF

weakened ventricle has difficult ejecting blood out of the chamber leading to inadequate ventricular emptying (accumulates in the weakened ventricle)

Diastolic HF

Ventricle has difficulty relaxing and cannot expand fully, cannot fill with blood adequately. SV and CO are diminished

Left-Sided HF

Causes by HTN, CAD/MI, Cardiomyopathy, or valvular dysfunction and causes blood to back up into the lungs

Right-Sided HF

Caused by left-sided HF, Cor Pulmonale, and pulmonic valve disease and causes blood to back up into the systemic venous circulation

Cor Pulmonale

Right ventricular failure caused by lung disease