CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE


The  image above shows Mrs. R, who is admitted to the
CCU with complaints of chest pain. Her past medical
 history includes two heart attacks. She calls the nurse, 
as she is experiencing extreme shortness of breath. The
nurse does an assessment and documents her findings.

  The nurse notifies the doctor regarding Mrs.R's condition.
  Following an examination, the doctor decides to run some
       tests. The EKG shows an anterior wall myocardial infarction.

The cause of an anterior wall MI, is obstruction to the flow
 of blood in the LAD  (left anterior descending) artery. This
          obstruction will result in death of the heart muscle surrounding
the blood vessel.


What can cause Congestive heart failure? 
The patient who has an anterior wall myocardial infarction may
develop CHF. Because of the damage to the heart muscle, the
    heart has difficulty pumping blood. Fluid backs up into the lungs
and causes shortness of breath. 





What does Hemodynamics mean?

Hemodynamics refers to blood flow. The heart is a pump,
which pumps blood around the body. If there is damage, 
like a myocardial infarction, the heart's function will be impaired.

What are some signs of heart damage?

Signs and symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath.

Things to note:
A cardiopulmonary arrest can happen anywhere. In an ICU setting,
trained staff members (advanced cardiac life support) are usually
on hand when a "code blue" is called.

Learn more , by clicking on the link below:

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