Patient/caregiver was instructed regarding complications of congestive heart failure as follows:
- Chest pain and discomfort: Back-up of blood in the heart chambers can result in increased pressure and discomfort in the chest and increased workload on the heart. This increased workload on the heart can result in demand for extra blood and oxygen supply. As, blood and oxygen supply to heart muscle is already compromised in individuals with heart failure, any extra demand can result in increased risk for chest pain and discomfort. In severe cases, individuals can even present with an episode of myocardial infarction or heart attack, damaging the heart muscle further.
- Worsening of heart failure: Persistent back-up of fluid in the heart chambers can lead to increased workload on the heart, progressive deterioration of heart function, further weakening of heart muscle, and worsening of heart failure. Patients can present with worsening symptoms of heart failure, such as, fluid retention in the chest leading to difficulty in gas exchange in the lungs, swelling of the extremities with pitting edema, and grossly limited exercise tolerance with exacerbation of episodes of shortness of breath.
- Increased weakness and fatigue: Reduced blood supply to the muscles can result in reduced oxygen supply to the muscle, thus leading to muscle pain, fatigue, and reduced endurance to activity.
