Patient was instructed on why should you be on fluid limitations with congestive heart failure as follows:
- In patients with congestive heart failure, the heart is unable to pump the blood, secondary to the insult suffered by the heart muscle.
- This results in back up of blood and leakage of fluid from the capillaries, resulting in pulmonary and peripheral edema, contributing to the shortness of breath and weight gain.
- Noncompliance with fluid limitations can result in addition of more fluid volume to the already existing high fluid volume in the body.
- This will add extra load to the already failing heart, which is unable to function optimally at pumping the current fluid volume.
- This can result in increased volume of fluid back up with increased pulmonary and peripheral edema, contributing to acute exacerbation of shortness of breath and rapid weight gain.
- So, it is very important for patients with congestive heart failure to be compliant with fluid limitations they are placed on.
