Heart Failure and Corpulmonale

Definition
Heart failure is a pathology in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to fulfill the body's needs. It may be due to the fact that:
 The heart can't fill with enough blood
 The heart can't pump blood to the rest of the body with enough force
 Both conditions

Pathophysiology
Due to overloading of the ventricle with blood during diastole the muscle contraction of the heart may weaken. The heart rate rises to compensate for the lowered cardiac output making the condition worse because the cardiac muscles need more nutrients to work. Another condition is anemia, in which put more strain on heart to pump more oxygen around the body. In myocardial infarction, there is an improper supply of blood …show more content…
 Chest radiographic findings of heart failure include cardiomegaly, pulmonary vascular redistribution, pulmonary venous congestion, alveolar edema and pleural effusions.

 Functional capacity can be obtained from cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

 Electrocardiogram (ECG) that records electrical signals and detect irregularities in heart's rhythm or structure

Role of Physical Therapy
The role of physical therapy is to:
 Strengthen the heart muscle
 Relieve symptoms
 Reduce the risk of worsening of symptoms
 Improve quality of life
 Offer longevity

Resistance training with weights, dumbbells or elastic bands has demonstrated various benefits, including:
 Improved muscle strength
 Improved …show more content…
Exercise may incorporate walking, stationary bicycling or postural balance activities. The sequence is to:
 Begin with two to four minutes of exercise
 Followed by one to two minutes of rest
 Exercise continuously for 20 or more minutes

Corpulmonale
Definition
Cor pulmonale is a term that depicts the right ventricular enlargement as a consequence of a lung disorder causing hypertension in pulmonary artery.

Pathophysiology
The mechanisms by which lung disorders brings pulmonary hypertension are:
Loss of capillary beds (eg, due to bullous changes in COPD or thrombosis in pulmonary embolism)
 Vasoconstriction as a result of hypoxia, hypercapnia or even both
 Elevated alveolar pressure eg, in COPD, during mechanical ventilation
 Hypertrophy in arterioles often a response to pulmonary hypertension

Sign and Symptoms
Patients of Cor pulmonale depicts following symptoms:
 Faintness or lightheadedness
 Chest discomfort or pain
 Swelling in feet or ankles
 Fatigue
 wheezing or coughing
 Bluish lips and fingers (cyanosis)
Physical signs of corpulmonale include:
 Tachypnea
 Cyanosis
 Clubbing
 Increased jugular venous