Patient/caregiver was educated upon signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure as follows:
- Fluid retention in chest and edema
- Poor and ineffective contractions of the heart chambers result in reduced emptying of the chambers, with progressively increased back-up of blood in the heart chambers, lungs, peripheral veins, and tissues.
- Back up of blood in the heart chambers can lead to increased blood volume and pressure in the heart chambers, resulting in progressive weakening of heart muscle, and worsening of heart failure.
- Progressive back-up of blood into the lungs can result in symptoms such as, increased pressure in pulmonary blood vessels, pulmonary hypertension, fluid retention in the chest, and pulmonary edema.
- Progressive back-up of blood into the veins and tissues can result in symptoms such as, fluid retention in the abdomen with bloating, fluid retention in the extremities with edema.
- Shortness of breath
- Reduced oxygenated blood supply to vital organs can also result in weakness, shortness of breath and dyspnea.
- Fluid retention in the chest with pulmonary edema can lead to difficulty in gas exchange in the lungs, poor oxygen saturation, exacerbation of shortness of breath, and grossly limited endurance and exercise tolerance.
- This can acutely increase the oxygen requirements in oxygen dependent individuals.
- Acute weight gain
- Progressive back-up of blood with increased fluid retention contributes to acute weight gain.
- Increasing fluid retention and weight gain contribute further to worsening of heart failure status.
