Hartman's 4-4: Congestive Heart Failure

When does it occur?

Occurs when the heart is unable to pump effectively.

What are the causes?

Can be caused by many heart diseases, MI, and HT

What parts of the heart can it affect?

Congestive heart failure can affect the right or left sides of the heart.

What happens when congestive heart failure begins on the right side of the heart?

Blood backs up in the large veins returning from blood from the body to the right atrium (especially jugular veins on the either side of the neck). Blood can also back up in large organs meant for filtering blood such as the liver or the spleen.

Signs and symptoms of right-sided congestive heart failure

• Liver congestion

• Spleen congestion

• Ascites (abnormal fluid in the abdominal cavity)

• Lower extremity edema

What happens if the dysfunction begins on the left side of the heart?

Blood will back up into pulmonary veins and eventually into lungs (causing fluid buildup). This fluid can leak from pulmonary capillaries and collect in the alveoli. This results in dyspnea (SOB), orthopnea (SOB when lying flat), and a productive cough with frothy sputum (mucus coughed up from the lungs).

What happens when left sided congestive heart failure is left untreated?

It can lead to right sided heart failure.

Signs and symptoms of left sided congestive heart failure:

• Edema of lower extremities

• Tachycardia (rapid HR)

• Dyspnea

• Orthopnea

• Neck vein distention (bulging of the major veins in your neck)

• Productive cough with white frothy sputum