Causes of Heart Failure and Cardiac Monitoring Flashcards

A complete set of 200 factual vocabulary flashcards grounded strictly in the provided lecture transcript on heart failure, cardiac diagnostics, risk factors, and treatments.

Afterload

The resistance against which the heart pumps blood, illustrated in the lecture by a clamp.

Abduload

A phonetic transcript variation referring to afterload, which is the resistance faced during ventricular ejection.

Clamp Illustration

A visual concept used to demonstrate afterload as physical resistance against cardiac blood output.

Echo (Echocardiogram)

A diagnostic ultrasound examination of the heart that provides the ejection fraction value.

Ejection Fraction

The percentage of blood pumped out of the ventricle during each squeeze relative to the total blood volume present in the ventricle.

Ejection Fraction Calculation

The ratio calculated by taking the amount of blood ejected per squeeze over the total blood volume in the ventricle, expressed as a percentage.

Ejection Fraction Format

Expressed in percentage form to represent ventricular pumping efficiency.

Systole

The phase of the cardiac cycle involved in actively squeezing and ejecting blood out of the heart.

Diastole

The phase of the cardiac cycle involved in resting and filling the heart with blood.

Heart Failure

A pathological state defined by degeneration of ventricular muscle and decreased ventricular contractile function.

Ventricular Muscle Degeneration

Structural deterioration of the myocardium in the ventricles leading to impaired cardiac output.

Decreased Ventricular Contractile Function

A loss in the squeezing strength of the ventricular myocardium characteristic of heart failure.

Causes of Heart Failure

A range of factors including active infections, chronic medical conditions, and modifiable lifestyle choices.

Infections

A category of medical causes that can trigger or contribute to heart failure.

Medical Conditions

Underlying health disorders that act as non-lifestyle etiologies for heart failure.

Modifiable Causes of CAD

Risk factors for coronary artery disease that can be changed or stopped, including smoking, obesity, and an inactive lifestyle.

Non-Modifiable Causes of CAD

Risk factors for coronary artery disease that cannot be altered, specifically heredity and age.

Smoking

A key modifiable risk factor for coronary artery disease and heart failure that patients can stop.

Heredity

An unalterable genetic factor contributing to heart disease risk.

Age

A non-modifiable factor that increases risk for heart conditions as time advances.

Obesity

A modifiable lifestyle condition associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease and heart failure.

Inactive Lifestyle

A modifiable risk factor characterized by a lack of physical activity that contributes to heart failure.

Right-Sided vs. Left-Sided Failure

Classification of heart failure based on whether the right or left ventricle is primarily dysfunctional.

Diastolic vs. Systolic Failure

Classification of heart failure comparing filling dysfunction during diastole with pumping dysfunction during systole.

Pulmonary Artery Catheter

An invasive monitoring catheter used in critical care settings to measure pulmonary capillary wedge pressure.

Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure

A specific hemodynamic pressure measured when a pulmonary artery catheter is in place.

Critical Care Scope

Advanced clinical parameters, such as PCWP, meant for critical care rather than general nursing student testing.

Forward Effects of Inadequate Ejection

Complications arising when inadequate blood is pumped into the aorta, leading to diminished systemic organ perfusion.

Diminished Perfusion

Inadequate delivery of oxygenated blood to vital body tissues as a result of low cardiac ejection.

Kidney Vulnerability in Heart Failure

The severe impairment experienced by renal tissue when cardiac output into the aorta is reduced.

Tumor Necrosis Factor

An inflammatory molecule released into circulation when the heart goes into failure.

B-Type Natured Phenotype

A key cardiac biomarker (B-type natriuretic peptide context) released during heart failure.

Right-Sided Failure Path

Retrograde flow of blood backing up from the right ventricle into the right atrium, and then into the superior and inferior vena cava.

Right Ventricle Dilation

Structural alteration where the right ventricle becomes overstretched or 'very old' due to chronic volume backup.

Cor Pulmonale

Right-sided heart failure resulting specifically from a primary pulmonary etiology.

Pulmonary Etiology

A respiratory or lung-related cause that leads to secondary right heart failure (cor pulmonale).

Hypokalemia

An abnormally low serum potassium concentration occurring in the context of heart failure.

Increased Blood Volume

An expansion of total intravascular volume caused by excess fluid retention in heart failure.

Excess Fluid Retention

The pathophysiologic mechanism in heart failure that drives increased blood volume.

Chest X-Ray in Heart Failure

A diagnostic radiographic image used to detect structural changes such as cardiomegaly and assess the apex of the heart.

Cardiomegaly

Abnormal enlargement of the heart observable on a chest X-ray of a heart failure patient.

Apex of the Heart

The anatomical tip of the heart, evaluated on a chest X-ray to determine the degree of cardiomegaly.

Low Fat Diet

A nutritional management strategy used in the treatment plan for heart failure.

Low Salt Diet

A dietary intervention prescribed in heart failure to prevent excess fluid retention and blood volume expansion.

Not Smoking

A primary non-pharmacological lifestyle change required for managing heart failure and CAD.

Biventricular Pacemaker

An implanted medical device used during cardio procedures to resynchronize the contraction of the right and left ventricles.

Resynchronization

The clinical goal of biventricular pacing to make the right and left ventricles squeeze together properly.

Ventricular Asynchrony

A mechanical issue where the right and left ventricles fail to squeeze together, requiring biventricular pacemaker implantation.

Afterload Resistance

The systemic vascular pressure opposing the outflow of blood from the heart during contraction.

Ventricular Squeeze Output

The quantity of blood ejected by a single contraction of the ventricular myocardium.

Total Ventricular Volume

The total capacity of blood in the ventricle prior to ejection, used to calculate ejection fraction.

Ejection Fraction Assessment

The non-invasive evaluation of heart failure progression obtained via echocardiogram.

Systolic Phase Function

The mechanical expulsion of blood into arterial trunks during myocardial contraction.

Diastolic Phase Function

The process of ventricular relaxation allowing complete blood refilling.

Degenerative Ventricular Myocardium

Damaged ventricular cardiac muscle that exhibits decreased contractile performance.

Contractile Loss

A key pathological outcome of ventricular muscle degeneration in heart failure.

Alterable Risk Category

Factors like physical inactivity, obesity, and smoking that can be altered to lower CAD risk.

Unalterable Risk Category

Factors like age and genetic background that cannot be modified by lifestyle adjustments.

Tobacco Cessation Benefit

The modification of smoking behavior to reduce progression of coronary artery disease.

Obesity Reduction

A modifiable clinical target focused on reducing body weight to prevent heart failure progression.

Activity Modification

Addressing an inactive lifestyle through physical activity to improve cardiovascular health.

Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring

The clinical practice of using devices like pulmonary artery catheters to obtain wedge pressures.

PCWP Clinical Context

A diagnostic pressure value used exclusively in critical care settings to evaluate heart function.

Reduced Aortic Perfusion

Inadequate forward delivery of blood into the aorta causing multi-organ ischemic stress.

Systemic Ischemia in Heart Failure

Generalized tissue starvation resulting from diminished cardiac output into the systemic aorta.

Renal Hypoperfusion

Decreased blood delivery to the kidneys resulting directly from inadequate ventricular ejection.

Cytokine Release in Failure

The secretion of tumor necrosis factor into blood circulation during severe cardiac failure.

BNP Biomarker Context

Identified as 'b type natured phenotype' in lecture notes, a key indicator of heart failure.

Retrograde Right Venous Congestion

The backward movement of blood from the right ventricle to the right atrium and major venae cavae.

Superior Vena Cava Congestion

Venous distension in the upper body system resulting from right-sided heart failure backup.

Inferior Vena Cava Congestion

Venous distension in the lower body system resulting from right-sided heart failure backup.

Chronically Enlarged Right Ventricle

A right ventricle that has become stretched and 'very old' from chronic volume overload.

Pulmonary Secondary Heart Failure

Right-sided heart failure (cor pulmonale) stemming directly from pulmonary pathology.

Low Serum Potassium Risk

Hypokalemia occurring in heart failure patients secondary to disease progression or therapy.

Hypervolemic Expansion

Increase in circulating volume caused by excess renal fluid retention during heart failure.

Chest X-Ray Assessment

Radiographic evaluation used to demonstrate cardiomegaly and heart border changes.

Visualized Cardiac Enlargement

Cardiomegaly detected by evaluating the borders and apex of the heart on an X-ray.

Sodium Restriction Strategy

Lowering salt intake to manage elevated intravascular blood volume in heart failure patients.

Fat Restriction Strategy

Implementing a low fat diet to reduce vascular disease progression in cardiac care.

Cardio Procedure Synchronization

Surgical insertion of a biventricular pacemaker to coordinate asynchronous ventricular contraction.

Ventricular Co-Squeezing

The ideal simultaneous contraction of both right and left ventricles restored via pacing.

Clamp Resistance Concept

A practical metaphor equating arterial afterload to mechanical clamping on blood vessels.

Echocardiogram Function

Non-invasive imaging that accurately determines the ejection fraction percentage.

Per-Squeeze Ratio

The fractional calculation determining ejection fraction in cardiac physiology.

Pumping Cardiac Phase

Systole, when ventricular ejection occurs.

Filling Cardiac Phase

Diastole, when blood fills the ventricular chambers.

Myocardial Degeneration Effect

Direct cause of decreased ventricular contractile performance in failing hearts.

Infectious Etiology

Infections listed among the broad causes triggering heart failure onset.

Unalterable Biological Risk

Fixed cardiac risk factors such as advancing age and inherited genetic traits.

Alterable Behavioral Risk

Lifestyle-dependent risk factors like inactivity, poor diet, and tobacco usage.

Pulmonary Catheterization

Invasive placement of a catheter into the pulmonary artery to measure wedge pressures.

Critical Care Pressure Metric

Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, monitored in critical care rather than general nursing.

Reduced Aortic Delivery

Failure to pump sufficient blood into systemic arteries, causing widespread organ starvation.

Renal System Compromise

Kidney suffering caused by inadequate arterial blood flow during low-output heart failure.

Inflammatory Marker Elevation

Increased systemic levels of tumor necrosis factor during acute or chronic heart failure.

Phenotypic Biomarker

B-type natured phenotype, circled as an essential lab value in heart failure assessment.

Right Ventricular Pressure Backflow

Pathological backpressure flowing from the right ventricle into the right atrium.

Vena Cava Outflow Backup

Retrograde congestion extending into the superior and inferior vena cava during right-sided failure.

Pulmonary-Driven Failure

Cor pulmonale, where right ventricular failure is provoked by primary lung disease.

Electrolyte Imbalance in Failure

Hypokalemia, representing subnormal blood potassium levels in heart failure patients.