Respiratory Therapy & Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure is a condition involving the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to supply the other organs in the body. High blood pressure, scars on the heart's tissues, narrowing of the arteries, heart muscle disease and infection of the heart valve can cause congestive heart failure. Respiratory therapy can potentially provide relief on the symptoms manifested by congestive heart failure and helps in the prevention of its serious complications.

Significance

• Congestive heart failure can lead to pulmonary complications that can be life threatening. These complications involve the manifestation of difficulty in breathing during sleep and abnormal breathing pattern consisting of absence of breathing that occurs in cycles. Congestive heart failure patients with these pulmonary complications have higher mortality rate. Respiratory stress further increases the work load of the heart to pump blood efficiently.

Features

• One easily gets tired in the presence of congestive heart failure

  According to the American Heart Association, pulmonary congestion and reduced cardiac output in congestive heart failure induce the symptoms of fatigue and shortness of breath which is more pronounced when lying down. The congestion resulting from the back flow of blood from the heart back to the tissues causes swelling in the legs and ankles and when fluids fill the lungs it interferes with breathing.

Function

• Aerosol inhaler is provided to improve breathing

  Respiratory therapy plays an integral part in the management of respiratory discomforts caused by congestive heart failure. It involves the assessment of the patient's breathing capacity by measuring the oxygen flow. Blood may be drawn to know the pH, carbon monoxide and oxygen levels. An aerosol inhaler or an oxygen mask is used to provide sufficient oxygen supply to the body. Mechanical ventilation is provided in the presence of extreme breathing difficulty. It also incorporates pulmonary rehabilitation consisting of exercise and cardiovascular training.

Types

• Exercise is a part of respiratory rehabilitation

  Therapies to improve breathing capacity involve oxygen therapy, pulse oximetry, incentive spirometry, aerosol inhaler, arterial blood gas measurement, nasotracheal suctioning and mechanical ventilation. Exercise helps improve the heart's pumping ability.

Benefits

• Respiratory therapy provides improved breathing condition

  Respiratory therapy provides the benefits of improved exercise capacity, reduced perceived shortage of breath while lying down, decreased frequency of hospitalization, decreased incidence of shortness of breath, improved respiratory compliance and learning of different breathing techniques.

Considerations

• To provide more efficient respiratory care for congestive heart failure, thorough assessment is conducted to identify the presence of other diseases that may contribute to the manifestation of the respiratory symptoms. The presence of asthma and congestive obstructive pulmonary disease should be recognized to optimize treatment.