Chronic Systolic Heart Failure: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Running head: NURSING
NURSING
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

NURSING
1
Concept Map
Legend:
 Precipitating and predisposing factors
 Disease process
 Diagnostics
 Signs and Symptoms
 Management
 Aetiology
Arterial fibrillation
Severe breathlessness, heart
failure.
Chronic systol heart failure
Dyspnoea
Low oxygen
saturation
and low
pulse rate.
Restricted blood supply to the
myocardium
Pulmonary oedema
Crackels
bilaterally
Myocardial infarction
High respiratory rate
Glyceryl trinitrate
Furosemide

NURSING
2
Question 1
According to the case scenario, ECG monitor proved atrial fibrillation. She was also
diagnosed to have severe dyspnea, high respiratory rate (24 breaths/minute), low oxygen
saturation (85% on room temperature), high blood pressure (170/95mmHg), high pulse rate
(120 beats/minute) and bilateral basal crackles in her lungs. However, looking at all the
manifestations, the doctors concluded that Mrs. Brown was at risk of chronic systolic heart
failure.
Chronic systolic heart failure mainly occurs due to decrease in left ventricular ejection
fraction. Heart failure results due to decrease in the cardiac output which in turn activates the
sympathetic nervous system thereby increasing the heart rate of Mrs. Brown. Blood pressure
rises in chronic systolic heart failure as it pushes the blood against the walls of the arteries
with a huge force which leads to halting of the heart muscle. Due to this halt, the patient
suffers from heart failure. Mrs. Brown has a high blood pressure which can be referred to as
high systolic blood pressure. Due to this, the left ventricle deals with increase in the afterload.
Afterload is defined as that workload which pumps the blood against the risen vascular
resistance. After a period, this will result in hypertrophy of the cardiac myocardium. If patient
does long-term remodeling then it may result in various disorders. Due to Mrs. Brown’s high
blood pressure, she is suffering from chronic systole heart failure, as it is seen that 60-70%
patients suffering from high blood pressure or hypertension to be more precise, there is a risk
of heart failure (Textbookofcardiology.org, 2019). High respiratory rate favors pulmonary
edema. Pulmonary edema is often causes in cases of chronic systolic heart failure. This is
because in this condition, the heart fails to pump sufficient blood and it can hence back up
into the veins which consume blood from the lungs. Thus this reduces the normal movement
of oxygen through the lungs. Due to this, the person suffers from shortness of breath. As per