Main description:

Caring for people with heart failure is challenging and with the numbers of patients increasing every year, healthcare professionals are under pressure to provide appropriate, clinically and cost effective heart failure services.
Heart Failure: A Clinical Nursing Handbook offers practical information that considers concerns raised by patients, questions asked by student nurses and clinical issues that arise frequently. The introduction examines the epidemiology, physiology, causes and outcomes of heart failure, whilst continuing chapters explore:

• Diagnosis and assessment: past medical history, the role of clinical assessment, medication reviews and the use of investigations.


• Treatment: the impact of education and lifestyle, exercise physiology, the role of medicines and invasive procedures and end stage heart failure.


• Policy and service issues: the historical perspective, specialist services, funding and patient participation and caseload management.

Also discussed is the setting up and running of a heart failure service the processes, documents, staffing, costs, data handling and business case issues that need to be understood. Practical techniques and tips to support patient understanding, minimise adverse events and treat side effects are also given to help the reader in their practice.

This concise handbook is ideal for clinicians caring for patients with heart failure, pre–registration nursing students, qualified nurses on cardiology courses and community matrons undertaking advanced practise courses.

Back cover:

Caring for people with heart failure is challenging and with the numbers of patients increasing every year, healthcare professionals are under pressure to provide appropriate, clinically and cost effective heart failure services.
Heart Failure: A Clinical Nursing Handbook offers practical information that considers concerns raised by patients, questions asked by student nurses and clinical issues that arise frequently. The introduction examines the epidemiology, physiology, causes and outcomes of heart failure, whilst continuing chapters explore:

• Diagnosis and assessment: past medical history, the role of clinical assessment, medication reviews and the use of investigations.


• Treatment: the impact of education and lifestyle, exercise physiology, the role of medicines and invasive procedures and end stage heart failure.


• Policy and service issues: the historical perspective, specialist services, funding and patient participation and caseload management.

Also discussed is the setting up and running of a heart failure service the processes, documents, staffing, costs, data handling and business case issues that need to be understood. Practical techniques and tips to support patient understanding, minimise adverse events and treat side effects are also given to help the reader in their practice.

This concise handbook is ideal for clinicians caring for patients with heart failure, pre–registration nursing students, qualified nurses on cardiology courses and community matrons undertaking advanced practise courses.

Contents:

About the Author.

Preface.

Part I Introduction.

1 Definitions.

Introduction.

Historical Outline.

Definitions.

Terminology.

Grading of Heart Failure.

2 Epidemiology.

Overview.

Prevalence.

Incidence.

Subgroup Differences.

Future Trends.

3 Causes.

Overview.

Ischaemic Heart Disease.

Hypertension.

Valve Disease.

Arrhythmias.

Infection.

Alcohol.

Diabetes.

Genetic Heart Failure.

Other Rare Rauses of Heart Failure.

Iatrogenic Heart Failure.

4 Outcomes.

Prognosis.

Mortality.

Morbidity.

Quality of Life.

Health Economics.

5 Physiology.

The Normal Heart.

The Failing Heart.

Part II Diagnosis and Assessment.

6 Clinical Assessment.

Role of Clinical Assessment.

Assessment Skills.

Presenting Complaint.

Past Medical History.

Lifestyle Review (Social History).

Medication Review.

Symptoms of Heart Failure.

Signs of Heart Failure.

Signs of Structural Change.

Systemic Signs.

Assessment Tools and Competency.

7 Investigations.

Use of Investigations.

Investigations for Diagnosis.

Investigations for Follow–up.

Heart Failure Screening.

Electrocardiogram (ECG).

Echocardiogram.

Chest X–ray (CXR).

Blood Tests.

Cardiac Catheterisation.

Impedance Cardiography (ICG).

Nuclear Imaging.

Part III Treatment.

8 Treatment Essentials.

Education.

Information.

Lifestyle.

9 Exercise Training.

Background.

Exercise Physiology.

Rationale for Exercise Training.

Evidence Base.

Safety.

Types of Exercise Training.

Service Delivery.

10 Medicines.

Overview.

Guidelines.

Treatment Principles.

Elderly Patients.

Asymptomatic Patients.

Nursing Role.

Diuretics.

ACE–inhibitors.

Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (A2RB).

Beta–blockers.

Aldosterone Antagonists.

Digoxin.

Nitrates.

Other Vasodilators.

Oxygen.

Inotropes.

Anti–arrhythmic drugs.

Opioids.

Drugs to Avoid.

11 Invasive Treatments.

Role of Invasive Treatments.

Cardiac Surgery.

Devices.

Emerging Technologies.

12 End–Stage Heart Failure.

Defining End–Stage Heart Failure.

The Dying Heart.

Symptoms.

Resuscitation Issues.

Psychological and Spiritual Dimension.

Family and Carers.

Specialist Palliative Care.

Service Issues.

Part IV Policy and Service Issues.

13 Policy Framework.

Historical Perspective.

National Service Frameworks.

Professional Guidelines Specific to Heart Failure.

Primary and Secondary Care.

Future Developments.

14 Service Issues.

Heart Failure Services.

Funding.

Key Partners.

Patient Participation.

Identifying Patients.

Referrals.

Service Effectiveness.

Heart Failure: Clinical Trials Index.

Glossary and Abbreviations.

References.

Index.