Signs and Symptoms of Heart Failure: Are You Asking the Right Questions?

作者：Nancy M. Albert, Kathleen Trochelman, Jianbo Li, Songhua Lin · 发表于：American Journal of Critical Care · 年份：2009 · DOI：10.4037/ajcc2009314 · 被引用次数：103 · 研究领域：Heart Failure Treatment and Management、Cardiovascular and exercise physiology、Cardiovascular Function and Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Patients may not verbalize common and atypical signs and symptoms of heart failure and may not understand their association with worsening disease and treatments. OBJECTIVES: To examine prevalence of signs and symptoms relative to demographics, care setting, and functional class. METHODS: A convenience sample of 276 patients (164 ambulatory, 112 hospitalized) with systolic heart failure completed a 1-page checklist of signs and symptoms experienced in the preceding 7 days (ambulatory) or in the 7 days before hospitalization. Demographic and medical history data were collected. RESULTS: Mean age was 61.6 (SD, 14.8) years, 65% were male, 58% were white, and 45% had ischemic cardiomyopathy. Hospitalized patients reported more sudden weight gain, weight loss, severe cough, low/orthostatic blood pressure, profound fatigue, decreased exercise, restlessness/confusion, irregular pulse, and palpitations (all P < .05). Patients in functional class IV reported more atypical signs and symptoms of heart failure (severe cough, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea or loss of appetite, and restlessness, confusion, or fainting, all P <or= .001). Sudden weight gain increased from 5% in functional class I to 37.5% in functional class IV (P < .001). Dyspnea occurred in all functional classes (98%-100%) and both settings (92%-100%). Profound fatigue was associated with worsening functional class (P < .001) and hospital setting (P = .001); paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea was associated with function...