Assessment of Quality of Life of Patients Diagnosed with Heart Failure on the Basis of Severity of Clinical Features

The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) and the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF/AHA) define HF as a complex clinical syndrome caused by any structural or functional impairment of ventricular filling or blood ejection, which results in the cardinal manifestations of dyspnoea, fatigue, and fluid retention. In mild to moderate heart failure, cardiac output is sufficient at rest but only becomes insufficient when the metabolic requirement rises during physical activity or another stressful situation .When a patient with severe heart disease exhibits the telltale signs or symptoms of insufficient cardiac output, pulmonary congestion, or systemic venous congestion, heart failure may be diagnosed. Most chronic cardiovascular disorders, such as hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), and valvular heart disease. The goal of the study was to assess the quality of life of patients diagnosed with heart failure based on severity of clinical features. It also aimed to assess the proportion of clinical features with different stages of heart failure. This was an observational study. The study was conducted in Department of General Medicine, ESIC MC- PGIMSR & Model Hospital, Rajajinagar. All the patients (n=51) meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were briefed about the purpose of the study and informed consent was obtained. The subject’s demographic details and responses were collected with the help of a standardized questionnaire. The collected data were entered in Microsoft Excel and appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was performed. It was observed that most of the patients were diagnosed with stage III (43.14%). From this study, it is evident that there is a need for QOL of patients with HF are impacted by a wide variety of physical and psychological problems. In HF patients, palliative care (PC) requirements are much more common in older patients and individuals with more severe NYHA stages.