Heart Failure (v2)

Course overview

More than five million people in the United States have been diagnosed with heart failure. It is the most common cause for hospitalization for patients over the age of sixty five. EMS has been so effective in treating patients in the field who have suffered some sort of cardiac compromise that the numbers continue to rise! The term 'heart failure' is now replacing the once commonly used 'congestive heart failure, or CHF' because of a new understanding of the disease. Heart failure was once considered more of a structural problem; it is now looked upon as a syndrome of different factors which cause a weakening of the heart. Understanding the disease process, the signs and symptoms, and common medications and their effects will help you continue to provide the best care possible on scene.