Compensated Heart Failure Research Paper

MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY HEART FAILURE MODULE

Please answer questions concisely, with focus on nutritional implications.

1. Define the following terms:

• Blood pressure – the force of blood that is pushing against walls of the arteries

• Cardiac cachexia- weight loss that provoked by heart disease.

• Diastolic blood pressure- pressure of the blood in the blood vessels during diastole.

• Dry weight- person`s weight without any sodium and fluid in his body

• Ejection fraction (EF)- it is the blood fraction that located in the left and right ventricles and pumped out into the cardiac cycle

• Systolic blood pressure- blood pressure during systole (heartbeat)

• Wet weight- person`s weight with fluid in his body

2. What is the difference

Therefore, compensated heart failure occurs when blood accumulates after the heart contraction that’s means at a higher venous pressure. In case when sympathetic discharge cannot change cardiac output easily and use renal mechanism to restore cardiac output decompensated heart failure occurs. Therefore the main difference between compensated heart failure and decompensated heart failure is in the action of sympathetic discharge that is regulated by sympathetic nervous system. (Cindy L. Stanfield.,2011.)

3. What is the difference between systolic and diastolic heart failure?

The main difference between systolic (SHF) and diastolic heart failure (DHS) is that during SHF decreased myocardial contractility occurs and causes reduced ejection fraction of the left ventricle. Therefore, to maintain cardiac output left ventricle is dilated during SHF. Despite SHF during DHF ejection fraction of the left ventricle is maintained, but there is no dilation of the left ventricle, decreased amount of blood enters the heart during diastole.

A. What is the Ejection Fraction (EF) and

B. What %EF distinguishes systolic from diastolic heart failure?

Ejection Fraction – is the quantity of blood that is pumped out from the left and right ventricles during after each heart

High amount of liquid intake can lead to complications of CHF as it makes harder to your heart to pump. Fluid restriction and prescribed diuretics can help to decrease excess amount of fluid inside the body and facilitate pumping of the heart to support the body with oxygen and nutrients. (Kathleen L. Grady,2000.)

5. Name the major electrolyte abnormalities associated with diuretic use.

• Why does this happen?

• Does it always happen? Why or why not?

The most common electrolyte abnormalities after diuretic treatment include hyponatraemia, hypokalaemia. The reason is that diuretics help to excrete excess fluid from the body that contains both water and electrolytes. Therefore, diuretics prevent normal absorption of the electrolytes and different electrolyte abnormalities occur. It is approved that diuretics have such side effects as electrolyte abnormalities, but they are not manifested in 100% of cases. For example potassium loss occurs when patient have pre – existing hypokalaemia or have high dose and long-term diuretics treatment. (J A Clayton,2006)

6. List the 3 diuretics that can cause the electrolyte abnormality.

Thiazides: bendroflumethiazide, hydrochlorothiazide. Loop diuretics: