Question for all the MDs here

[FP]

I understand what congestive heart failure is and I understand what causes it but I have not been able to find an answer as to what actually kills you. Does the fluid that accumulates in and around your lungs basically drown you?

I have a relative who was recently diagnosed with congestive heart failure and he is not doing well. The doctors said he doesn't have much longer. I basically want to know if the final "failure" is painful or not and what it can be likened to. I have seen some MDs floating around these forums so I was hoping someone could shed some light.

 

[Gulzakar]

I belive it has to do with Oxygen levels in the blood.

 

[FP]

bump

 

[Chunkee]

you will see pitting edema in extremities breathing will become extremely difficult as, fluids cannot be removed from the system at an adequate rate...pain is relative, to therapeutic drugs, diuertics, etc.

keep the person comfortable and pray for them,....reading is good also.

jC

 

[abc]

Originally posted by: binister
I understand what congestive heart failure is and I understand what causes it but I have not been able to find an answer as to what actually kills you. Does the fluid that accumulates in and around your lungs basically drown you?

I have a relative who was recently diagnosed with congestive heart failure and he is not doing well. The doctors said he doesn't have much longer. I basically want to know if the final "failure" is painful or not and what it can be likened to. I have seen some MDs floating around these forums so I was hoping someone could shed some light.

i'm really sorry to read this. recently diagnosed from a routine checkup or has there been symptoms for a long time? my pop has irregular heartbeat and fatigue. he's been on 1 med. for this the past month, and another for anti stroke.

 

[koolhand]

http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3552.htm

{...snip...}

Mortality/Morbidity: Despite recent advances in the management of patients with heart failure, morbidity and mortality rates remain high, with an estimated 5-year mortality rate of 50%.

* Assigning figures for inpatient mortality rates is difficult because the causes and the severity of heart failure vary considerably. The most recent estimates of inpatient mortality rates indicate that death occurs in up to 5-20% of patients.

* Hypoxemia that occurs in decompensated CHF, which may be severe, may result in myocardial ischemia or infarction.

* Respiratory failure with hypercapnic respiratory acidosis may occur in severe decompensated CHF, requiring mechanical ventilation if medical therapy is delayed or unsuccessful. Endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation are associated with their own risks, including aspiration (during the intubation process), mucosal trauma (more common with nasotracheal intubation than orotracheal intubation), and barotrauma.

* In patients with CHF, the risk of cardiac sudden death from ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation is considerable, and the degree of risk is correlated with the degree of decompensation and the degree of LV dysfunction. Recognition of the role of ventricular arrhythmias and advances in their treatment have resulted in decreased mortality rates in individuals with CHF.

* Progressive renal insufficiency due to decreased renal blood flow and GFR are common in patients with long-standing CHF.

* Liver dysfunction due to passive hepatic congestion is particularly common in patients with right-sided CHF with elevated right ventricular (RV) pressure that is transmitted back into the portal vein.

o Mild jaundice, mild abnormalities in coagulation, and derangements in liver metabolism of medications, some of which are used in the treatment of heart failure, may result from this liver dysfunction.

o Toxic levels of medications such as warfarin, theophylline, phenytoin, and digoxin can result from delayed liver metabolic clearance of these drugs in the presence of decompensated CHF, thereby leading to potentially fatal bleeding, cardiac dysrhythmias, and neurologic abnormalities.