Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle illness or disease that can be transient or chronic and cause cardiac dysfunction (heart loses effectiveness as a pump).

The heart muscle enlarges, thickens, or becomes hard when there is cardiomyopathy. The heart weakens and is less able to pump blood through the body and maintain a regular electrical rhythm as the condition worsens. Arrhythmias or heart failure may result. Due to a weak heart, issues can also occur with the heart valves.

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Massive ventricular hypertrophy, C.O is normal, ↑ inflow resistance, and mitral valve incompetence, arrhythmais and sudden death

• Restrictive Cardiomyopathy: Restriction of filling of the ventricles or reduced diastolic compliance of the ventricle. C.O is normal or ↑ formation of thrombi, dilation of left atrium, and mitral valve incompetence.

• Dilated Cardiomyopathy: The most prevalent form of cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), is characterized by ventricular enlargement, contractile dysfunction, and heart failure. A heart chamber enlarges or dilates as a result of diseased muscle fibers being stretched.

Pathophysiology

• All cardiomyopathies have a common pathogenesis, which is a chain of actions that leads to diminished cardiac output.
• The sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone response are stimulated by decreased stroke volume, which increases systemic vascular resistance, salt and fluid retention, and the heart's workload.
• Heart failure can result from these changes.
• Weakened, unusually enlarged, thickened, or rigid cardiac muscle are some of the symptoms. Heart failure results from the heart's inability to pump blood to the body's other organs.
• Loss of blood pumping capacity and, occasionally, disturbances in heart rhythm cause dysrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats.
• The illness usually gets worse over time, and occasionally it does so quickly.

Signs and Symptoms of DCM

• Left ventricular failure signs
• intolerance to activity
• Fatigue and weakness
• chest pain
• Dysrhythmias
• Eventually, right ventricular failure symptoms

Diagnosis

• Heart disease in the family and medical history A physical examination can reveal accumulation, which is a symptom of heart failure, as can swelling in the ankles, feet, abdomen, or neck veins.
• Holter monitoring, ECG, and a chest X-ray
• cardiac catheterization, coro angiography, and echocardiography
• Cardiovascular Biopsy

Treatment

alleviate heart failure symptoms, cut back on work and anticoagulants, and organ transplants. Treatment consists of Symptom management alleviates symptoms

• To improve cardiac output, diuretics, cardiac glycosides, and vasodilators are used.
• Dysrhythmias are treated using antidysrhythmics.
• Tell the patient to report any symptoms of dizziness or fainting, as these could be signs of a dysrhythmia.
• Tell the patient to avoid taking because it has a cardiac-depressant effect.
• Heart transplantation might be required.

Nursing Management of Cardiomyopathy

Assessment

• Throughout the phase, take your vital signs every 15 minutes.
• Every hour and as clinically indicated, monitor the patient for changes in their neurologic function. Check the capillary time, skin color, and warmth.
• In order to rule out myocardial ischemia, check for chest discomfort.
• To gauge the severity of heart failure, listen to your heart and lungs.

Monitor the Patient

• Obtain Bp at least once every hour because of the patient's unstable condition.
• To assess the effects of the pharmacologic intervention for the decreased cardiac output, check urine output every hour.
• Keep an eye on the patient's activity and avoid any interventions that could harm oxygenation.
• uPlse oximetry should be continuously monitored for oxygen levels.
• ECG rhythm strip analysis should be done at least four times a day.

Other Management

• To maintain or improve oxygenation, administer oxygen at a rate of 2 to 4 L/min,
• Remain well-rested to reduce your need for oxygen.
• Drugs should be given as directed.
• Offer a liquid diet throughout the acute phase,
• prior to and following the treatment of loop diuretics, check serum potassium levels.
• To avoid pressure sores, give your skin the care it needs.
• To reduce preload and afterload, take a diuretic as directed.