Left Sided
Right Sided
Key Terms
Labs
Interventions
100

Typical Causes of left sided heart failure. 

hypertension, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, and cardiomyopathy. 

100

Typical Causes for right  sided heart failure. 

left ventricular failure, right ventricular MI, pulmonary hypertension. 

100

pressure/resistance the ventricles must overcome to eject blood through the semilunar valves & into the peripheral blood vessels. amount of resistance is directly related to BP & blood vessel diameter. 

afterload

100

Values often reveal hypoxemia

ABG

100

What is priority when assessing patients with edema?

daily weights

200

Symptoms of left sided heart failure. 

Shortness of breath, dry/non-productive cough, pulmonary crackles, bibasilar crackles, low oxygen saturation. Pulmonary edema. 

200

Which assessment finding does the nurse anticipate in a client with right sided heart failure?


Jugular vein distension, enlarged abdominal girth

200
Narrowing of aortic valve and obstruction of left ventricular outflow during systole. 

aortic stenosis

200

What non-blood test can be used to determine heart failure?

Chest XR, echocardiogram, EKG

200

What should be assessed on a focused physical assessment on a heart failure patient?

auscultate lungs, auscultate heart sounds, palpate for edema, check capillary refill, oxygen saturation. 

300

What is impaired as a result of left ventricular failure?

Perfusion

300

A patient reports nausea and anorexia who is also diagnosed with right-sided heart failure. What could be the reason for these symptoms. 

liver engorgement

300

peptide produced and released by the ventricles when the patient has fluid overload when the patient has heart failure. 

BNP

300

What will a urinalysis reveal in a heart failure patient?

proteinuria and high specific gravity

300

What nutritional intake value should be limited or restricted with a patient with heart failure. 

sodium. 

400

alternation between a weak & strong pulse, often a sign of left-sided heart failure. 

pulsus alternans

400

during late right sided heart failure if the surface area of the valve becomes 1 cm or less what would be indicated. 

surgery. this is an urgent case. 

400

withdrawal of pericardial fluid through a catheter inserted into the pericardial space to relieve the pressure on the heart

pericardiocentesis

400

What determines the functionality of you heart?

ejection fracture

400

What medications would the nurse anticipate being ordered for a patient with heart failure?

ACE-inhibitors and ARBs.

enalapril & captopril are ACE-inhibitors.

valsartan & losartan are ARB.

500
The early heart sound heard with left sided heart failure. 

S3 gallop

500

Right sided heart is the main cause of?

pulmonary hypertension. 

500

accumulation of fluid in the pericardial space

pericardial effusion

500

Provides information about left ventricular ejection fraction and velocity. 

Multigated blood pool scans

500

What medication is given to reduce fluid overload in a heart failure medication? What drug class is this medication?

furosemide' loop diuretic.