What is acute and chronic pulmonary heart failure and what drugs to treat it

One of the deadly pathologies of the cardiovascular system is cardiopulmonary insufficiency, which affects two of the most important parts of the human body. The disease occurs as a result of the development of other ailments associated with the work of the respiratory system. The disease is also called "cor pulmonale", because in the process of malfunctioning of the lungs, the myocardial wall thickens.

Classification of cardiopulmonary insufficiency

Cardiopulmonary failure is a common pathology resulting from increased pressure in the pulmonary (or pulmonary) circulation, also called hypertension. As a result, the ventricle of the heart, located on the right side, suffers from an extreme load, gradually gaining mass. Depending on the nature of the course, cardiopulmonary insufficiency develops as a chronic, acute and subacute pathology, with each type having specific manifestations.

The main difference between these forms of the course of the disease is the time period during which inflammatory processes occur. So, the period of development of acute cardiopulmonary insufficiency is several hours, depending on the provoking factors. Chronic and subacute forms of the disease can torment the patient from a couple of months to several years.

Another classification of dangerous pathology is based on the clinical type of cardiopulmonary insufficiency. The main feature of each species are the characteristic symptoms.

1. Respiratory. The main symptoms of the disease are shortness of breath, choking, wheezing and coughing. The patient develops cyanosis, which is manifested by the bluish color of the mucous membranes and skin, and the main place of distribution of blueness is the nasolabial fold.
2. Anginal. The clinical picture of the disease is similar to the manifestations of angina pectoris (or angina), characterized by severe chest pain and suffocation. However, the irradiation characteristic of angina pectoris is absent.
3. Cerebral. The disease affects the brain, causing excitability and aggressiveness, in some cases the patient feels unreasonable euphoria, psychosis or apathy.
4. Collaptoid. According to the clinical type, the disease resembles arterial hypotension, which is characterized by pallor and weakness, tachycardia and a feeling of cold in the extremities.
5. Abdominal. The disease affects the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, provokes nausea and vomiting. There is a risk of developing stomach ulcers.

Diagnosing the primary symptoms of the disease, the doctor forms a clinical presentation of the course of the patient's cardiopulmonary insufficiency. Accordingly, the methods of prevention and treatment of the disease also differ significantly.

Causes of heart failure

• acute form of asthma;
• spasms of the pulmonary artery and the formation of thrombosis;
• accumulation of fluid or carbon dioxide in the respiratory plane, forming stagnation;

• pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs);
• mechanical trauma to the chest.

• vasculitis in the lungs (formation of the walls of blood vessels, which are inflammatory in nature);
• development of a tumor in the mediastinum, which is located between the sternum and the spine;
• aneurysms that compress the right side of the heart.

The main reason for the development of cardiopulmonary insufficiency are specific diseases of these organs, namely: emphysema, bronchitis, tuberculosis and other infections.

The causes of cardiopulmonary pathology also differ in the degree of development of the disease.

• spasm of the pulmonary artery or the occurrence of thrombosis, thromboembolism;
• a sharp exacerbation of asthma;
• trauma leading to pneumothorax (or hydrothorax);
• pneumonia, which is of a total nature.

The above ailments entail serious consequences, therefore, require immediate medical attention. A sudden detached blood clot is the most common cause of a large population, which is especially true for the elderly and overweight patients.

The causes of chronic or subacute cardiopulmonary insufficiency doctors include the following factors:

1. hereditary predisposition. Hypertension develops progressively, gradually increasing resistance in the blood vessels, which leads to insufficiency of the right heart.
2. Various types of pleurisy. The disease is characterized by inflammation of the pleural sheets covering the lungs and the internal cavity of the chest. As a result of dry pleurisy, a non-molecular protein enters the surface of the leaves. Exudative pleurisy is caused by the accumulation of fluid (exudate) in the body cavity, which is released by the blood vessels during inflammation.
3. Atherosclerosis, which is the scourge of modern society. One of the main symptoms of atherosclerosis is a decrease in free space in the vessels, which leads to an inevitable increase in pressure in them.
4. Endarteritis. Endarteritis also leads to narrowing and inflammation of the vessels, but the legs are most often the zone of development of the disease.
5. Other chronic diseases associated with the work of the myocardium and respiratory organs (pneumosclerosis, bronchitis, etc.).

The main factors provoking the occurrence of various forms of cardiopulmonary insufficiency are associated with diseases that directly or indirectly lead to a decrease in the lumen of blood vessels. If the chronic form is caused by gradual destructive processes, then the causes of the development of an acute degree of the disease often lead to death.

Symptoms of heart failure

• Dyspnea. It appears even with weak physical exertion already in the early stages of the development of pathology, patients hardly take deep breaths.
• Cyanosis. This symptom is a consequence of a lack of oxygen in the blood. External manifestations of cyanosis are represented by blue fingertips and the nasolabial region.

• For a more neglected condition of the patient, ascites is characteristic. The accumulation of fluid in the lungs makes breathing difficult.
• Painful sensations in the sternum, indicating violations in the work of the respiratory system and the cardiovascular system.
• Hypotension. The patient's blood pressure is constantly at a very low level, vegetative disorders are observed.

At the initial stages of the development of the disease, symptoms are almost not traced, pain and respiratory disorders are observed during periods of exacerbation of the disease. Later, when the pathology increasingly affects the respiratory and circulatory systems, the patient feels unwell while at rest.

Considering the degree of development of the pathology in more detail, it is possible to identify the characteristic symptoms for each stage of the disease.

• rapid inflammation of a large area of ​​the lungs;
• failure of prosthetic valves in patients who underwent surgery to replace an organic element;
• accumulation of gases in the chest area (pneumothorax);
• exacerbation of bronchial asthma in a patient at the initial diagnosis;
• violations of the mitral valve;
• suffocation;
• enlargement of the veins.

Chronic cardiopulmonary insufficiency is less painful than the acute degree of the disease. The specific symptoms of the pathology in this case are lethargy and constant fatigue, the patient with a negative attitude to the slightest physical exertion.

Treatment of cardiopulmonary insufficiency

Different forms of the disease require unique methods of treating and diagnosing the problem. Carrying out assistance to a patient suffering from acute cardiopulmonary insufficiency, doctors try first of all to save a person's life. The patient must immediately receive the necessary amount of oxygen, which will prevent suffocation. Another direction of the struggle of physicians with an acute form of the course of the disease is the elimination of pulmonary edema.

• papaverine, which plays the role of an antispasmodic for the walls of blood vessels;
• atropine, which facilitates the breathing process;
• anticoagulants, which thin the blood and prevent thrombosis.

After a stable condition is reached and nothing threatens the patient's life, doctors begin the complex treatment of the disease. The most important role in saving the patient is played by competent first aid, which can be provided by the surrounding people.

Treatment of a patient suffering from chronic cardiopulmonary insufficiency is represented by a set of measures aimed at eliminating the main symptoms of the disease.

• treatment of the underlying cause of the disease;
• blood thinning procedures;
• taking drugs that stop inflammation;
• taking antispasmodic drugs aimed at relaxing muscle mass;
• treatment with drugs containing hormones.

Diagnosis of cardiopulmonary insufficiency

A thorough diagnosis of the patient's condition is most justified in the case of a chronic course of the disease. If the acute form of cardiopulmonary insufficiency has obvious symptoms and doctors often do not have enough time to diagnose, then it is difficult to identify the chronic type of pathology.

The starting point of the diagnosis is the initial examination of the patient, during which the doctor listens to the patient's complaints, listens to the heartbeat, and so on. After that, the patient is sent for a detailed examination.

1. Auscultation. This method of examining the body helps to detect heart murmurs and tachycardia.
2. X-ray. Carrying out an x-ray fixes a change in the thickness of the myocardium and the alleged pathology of the lungs.
3. CT scan. Examination of modified parts of the respiratory and heart organs shows the most accurate results.
4. Electrocardiography (ECG). The procedure is aimed at identifying disorders in the work of the cardiovascular system. For the same purpose, an ultrasound of the heart is performed.

Symptoms of chronic cardiopulmonary insufficiency are similar to those of other respiratory diseases, such as bronchial asthma. Therefore, even experienced physicians find it difficult to make an initial diagnosis. Procedures carried out with the help of high-tech equipment make it possible to identify specific signs of the disease, providing the correct treatment.

First aid for pulmonary edema

Many people are lost when faced with the need to provide first aid to the sick. However, even the slightest delay can cost a person their life. Typical symptoms of an attack are suffocation, profuse sweating, pale skin color.

1. Make an ambulance call.
2. Place the victim in a semi-sitting position. The patient's legs should be lowered down.
3. If possible, clear the respiratory canals of mucus.
4. Provide the patient with free access to oxygen by opening a window if assistance is provided indoors.

By performing these simple actions, each person can save the life of a patient suffering from pulmonary edema. Most patients die before the arrival of the ambulance crew precisely for the reason that those around them are inactive.

Cardiopulmonary insufficiency is the most dangerous pathology, the result of which is often fatal. With a chronic disease, a person can live for many years, conducting regular examinations with a doctor. However, the acute stage of cardiopulmonary failure can lead to pulmonary edema, requiring immediate medical attention.