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Heart Failure (HF)

Jason Lucas
by: Jason Lucas, PhD, PA-C

Heart Failure (HF) has become a large part of cardiovascular medicine and with new technologies much more interesting.

Patients that have HF will never be cured so the strategy is how to slow the progression of the disease.  A multidisciplinary approach to caring for HF patients seems to be the best for the medical team, the patient, and patient families. There are many reasons why a patient has HF.  It may be from ischemia, abnormal heart rhythms, ETOH excess, viral and the list goes on.  There are two types of HF: diastolic and systolic HF.  They are descriptions of how well your pump pumps.

The Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) that I work in cares for many HF patients in the Atlanta area. We are an 11 APP critical care cardiology team with interventional cardiology oversight. We admit HF patients into our unit, and care for them throughout the course of stay in the intensive care unit. We perform invasive line placements for accurate hemodynamic monitoring as well as use inotropic therapies with the advanced HF consult service guidance. Patients that have HF will never be cured, so the strategy is how to slow the progression of the disease. A multidisciplinary approach to caring for HF patients seems to be the best for the medical team, the patient, and patient families.

There are many reasons why a patient has HF. It may be from ischemia, abnormal heart rhythms, ETOH excess, viral and the list goes on. There are two types of HF: diastolic and systolic HF. Which has to do with how well your pump pumps. At the Skin Bones Heart and Private Parts conference, I will be discussing HF and the progression of disease to shock and beyond. I hope you will join the conference.