Acute heart failure, also known as acute decompensated heart failure or cardiac failure cannot be linked with a single disease but it is a syndrome of the worsening of the signs as well as symptoms which reflect an inability of the human heart to pump enough blood required at a rate to fulfill the needs of the body. AHF is usually not acute in nature and it typically develops gradually over the course of the days to weeks.
A heart hospital in Delhi suggests that acute heart failure is the result of a primary disturbance which is caused in the diastolic or systolic function of the heart or of arterial vasoconstriction or abnormal venous, however, it usually signals a number of factors that include volume overload as the primary characteristic. A majority of patients suffer from this kind of heart failure which has proven to be fatal for their overall health.
Immediate action to be taken in case of an acute heart attack:
The immediate priorities that you must work on while arriving in the hospital with a possible case of an acute heart attack include the following:
- You must make sure that your vital signs including blood pressure and pulse are stable.
- You must prepare yourself to deal with this life-threatening condition which may appear with other conditions including ventricular fibrillation.
- You must decide whether you are suffering from acute heart failure or not.
Treatment options:
According to a heart hospital in Delhi, acute heart failure treatment has two general methods which open the blocked coronary:
- Thrombolytic therapy:
This therapy comprises administering drugs that act rapidly in order to dissolve the blood clot which is responsible for blocking the artery. A number of studies have suggested that 50 percent of the occluded arteries could be opened by the way of administering these drugs early during the course of a heart attack. The patients whose arteries are opened usually end up experiencing less heart damage and welcome a better chance of survival for the long term.
- Angioplasty and stenting:
Acute heart failure treatment option also includes the procedure of angioplasty and stenting. Instead of making use of thrombolytic drugs, rapid angioplasty and stenting are used in order to remove the blockage from the arteries. This procedure opens the artery for about 80 percent. Thus, it is considered to be a good option for the treatment of acute heart failure. However, a heart hospital in Delhi suggests that the disadvantage of this approach is that it is an invasive approach of treating acute heart failure.
Other treatment options:
Apart from acting quickly in order to open the vessel so occluded and restore the flow of blood in the heart, there are other measures which are used in the treatment of acute heart failure.
- Aspirin: Taking aspirin as quick as possible on experiencing the symptoms of heart failure is expected to significantly improve the outcomes of your health.
- Heparin: Administering intravenous heparin within 24 hours of acute heart attack reduces mortality in the long term.
- Beta-blockers: Beta-blockers are known to improve the survival of patients who suffer from MIs or acute heart failure. However, they must be administered only when a person has a strong reason to do so.
