Introduction to Pathophysiology and Nursing
Congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy in general terms are complications of heart diseases: a good example is heart attack which damages heart muscles. Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium or heart muscle where the heart loses the ability to beat at a normal rhythm and pump blood normally. Cardiomyopathy and Congestive heart failure result from various complications and heart diseases such as heart valve disorders, arrhythmias and hypertension (Ghosh, 2010, p. 49). Congestive heart failure affects both right and left sides of the heart, although depending on severity of damage and the location, it may affect one side more than the other. Congestive heart failure is defined by the American Heart Association as a condition in which the heart cannot pump sufficient blood to other organs in the body.
Management of heart failure in Mr. P’s case will involve both pharmacological and non-pharmacological management. Ostensibly, improvement and maintenance of the quality of life for Mr. P is paramount as it is the priority in the plan of his care. Cardiac rehabilitation would be coherent in his illness. This program is medically supervised to ensure best possible mental, physical and social functioning of cardiac patients. It is geared towards enabling these patients resume and maintains their normal places in the society by their own efforts.
Like many other diseases, cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure are treatable. Use of medication to treat these diseases will include ACE inhibitors (captopril, lisinopril and ramipril) to reduce strain on the heart and to lower blood pressure. Aldosterone blockers and Anticoagulants (aspirin and Coumadin) will be administered to prevent formation of blood clots that causes stroke and heart attack. In addition to that, use of cholesterol-lowering medications (statins) greatly reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack as well as reducing risks of recurrent stroke and heart attacks. Mr. P’s case is somewhat serious and advanced measures such as mechanical ventilation will require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to support breathing. Also, intravenous medications will be used to rapidly reduce strain on the heart and draw fluid out of the lungs. If the Mr. P’s illness persists, stent and Angioplasty placement could be recommended since he appears to have severely blocked coronary arteries. This will be followed by surgery where new graft arteries will be placed to sidestep the blocked arteries or coronary artery and as blood flow will be to the affected heart tissues through the newly placed healthy graft arteries (Abraham, 2010, p. 112).
It is coherent for the Mr. P’s wife and friends to know and understand that in order for Mr. P to recover from the dreadful illness, joining hands in support of him is of paramount importance. To start with, Treatment for congestive heart failure will include a number of treatment and preventive measures such as:
- Dietary and lifestyle changes which will be useful in maintaining and achieving an ideal fitness and weight level.
This will entail heart-healthy diet which is low in sodium, saturated fat and trans fat. Also, it is important for his family to serve him food that less concentrated in salt as this leads to increase in blood pressure and fluid retention as well.
- Regular treatment and medical care will greatly reduce risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol.
Aside the direct effects of congestive heart failure such as numerous heart complications, there are other life threatening complications which include severe or rapid increase of fluid in the lungs which could lead to respiratory failure, respiratory failure or even death. In addition to that, congestive heart failure greatly impacts to the quality of life, for instance, Mr. P is so restless, very ill and uncomfortable (Tisdale, 2010, p. 212). His predicaments pose major threats on his health and life in general. However, Mr. P with the help of his wife and colleagues could minimize these possible risks that come along with congestive heart failure through following the his health care professional design which is specifically for him and also following his treatment plan carefully. Mr. P desperately needs a lot of support from his wife. Following his predicaments, great care, love and support will be of paramount importance in treating cardiomyopathy and heart failure, which he suffers from. His wife will be required to help him follow his medication as prescribed by his doctor, change his lifestyle and diet in order to maintain ideal fitness and weight.
References
Ghosh, A., Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research., & Mayo Clinic. (2010). Mayo Clinic internal medicine board review. Rochester, MN.: Mayo Clinic Scientific Press.
Abraham, W. T., Baliga, R. R., & Ovid Technologies, Inc. (2010). Cardiac resynchronization therapy in heart failure. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer / Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Tisdale, J. E., Miller, D. A., & American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. (2010). Drug- induced diseases: Prevention, detection, and management. Bethesda, Md: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
