T3 L12: Chronic heart failure

Question 1

What is the definition of heart failure?

Answer 1

When the heart fails to maintain adequate cardiac output to meet the demands of the body

Question 2

What is the typical cardiac output at rest?

Answer 2

70mls/kg/min

Question 3

What is the definition of preload?

Answer 3

At the end of diastole. It the volume of blood and stretching of cardiomyocytes prior of the next contraction

Question 4

What is the definition of afterload?

Answer 4

The end load of blood the heart has to eject

Question 5

How does preload decrease?

Answer 5

With decreased blood volume and vasodilation

Question 6

What is the equation for cardiac output?

Answer 6

Cardiac output = heart rate x stroke volume

Question 7

What is the frank sterling law?

Answer 7

An increased volume of blood filling the heart stretches the heart muscle fibres causing greater contractile forces, which in turn increases stroke volume. This is only true until a certain point

Question 8

What is systolic heart failure and what causes it?

Answer 8

Progressive deterioration myocardial contractile function caused by ischaemic heart disease, volume overload, pressure overload

Question 9

What is diastolic heart failure?

Answer 9

Inability of the heart chamber to relax, expand and fill sufficiently during diastole to accommodate and adequate volume caused by significant left ventricular hypertrophy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, constrictive pericarditis

Question 10

What are cardiomyopathies?

Answer 10

Diseases leading to functional impairment of the heart

Question 11

What is the most common type of cardiomyopathy?

Answer 11

Dilated cardiomyopathy

Question 12

Give an example of a hereditary cardiomyopathy

Answer 12

Hypo trophic cardiomyopathy