2025 EDITION | NCLEX-NGN READY
MED-SURG SURVIVAL GUIDE
HEART FAILURE & PERFUSION
"Don't Memorize. Understand."
The Master Cheat Sheet for Nursing Students
INCLUDES HIGH-YIELD TOPICS:
The "DO CHAP" vs "AW HEAD" Mnemonics (Instantly dis nguish Le vs. Right Failure)
The "Flooded Basement" Mental Model (The #1 Analogy to understand Preload & A erload)
NGN Case Study: Acute Exacerba on (Real Clinical Judgment Prac ce with Answer Key)
5 Cri cal Safety Alerts (Flash Pulmonary Edema, Digoxin Toxicity & The 3lb Rule)
INDEPENDENT STUDY AID
Based on OpenStax Medical-Surgical Nursing
, HEART FAILURE MASTER CHEAT SHEET
The Basics: Defining Left-Sided vs. Right-Sided Heart Failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a chronic condition
where the heart works inefficiently, reducing perfusion to the body. This inefficiency
is caused by weakness in the ventricular muscle, which results in lower pressure and
impedes the forward flow of blood.
CLASSIFICATION DEFINITION
Occurs when the left ventricle muscle is damaged and weak,
meaning it can no longer pump enough blood through the
Left-Sided Heart body. LSHF is further categorized into systolic failure (inability
Failure (LSHF) to eject blood forward, causing backward flow) or diastolic
failure (stiff, thick ventricle cannot fully relax, causing
inadequate filling).
Results when increased fluid pushes fluid back into the
Right-Sided Heart
pulmonary system, which congests the right side of the heart
Failure (RSHF)
and causes the right ventricle to fail.
Figure1: Blood flows through the heart, following the direction of the arrows. Blue
represents deoxygenated blood, and red represents oxygenated blood.
MED-SURG SURVIVAL GUIDE
HEART FAILURE & PERFUSION
"Don't Memorize. Understand."
The Master Cheat Sheet for Nursing Students
INCLUDES HIGH-YIELD TOPICS:
The "DO CHAP" vs "AW HEAD" Mnemonics (Instantly dis nguish Le vs. Right Failure)
The "Flooded Basement" Mental Model (The #1 Analogy to understand Preload & A erload)
NGN Case Study: Acute Exacerba on (Real Clinical Judgment Prac ce with Answer Key)
5 Cri cal Safety Alerts (Flash Pulmonary Edema, Digoxin Toxicity & The 3lb Rule)
INDEPENDENT STUDY AID
Based on OpenStax Medical-Surgical Nursing
, HEART FAILURE MASTER CHEAT SHEET
The Basics: Defining Left-Sided vs. Right-Sided Heart Failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a chronic condition
where the heart works inefficiently, reducing perfusion to the body. This inefficiency
is caused by weakness in the ventricular muscle, which results in lower pressure and
impedes the forward flow of blood.
CLASSIFICATION DEFINITION
Occurs when the left ventricle muscle is damaged and weak,
meaning it can no longer pump enough blood through the
Left-Sided Heart body. LSHF is further categorized into systolic failure (inability
Failure (LSHF) to eject blood forward, causing backward flow) or diastolic
failure (stiff, thick ventricle cannot fully relax, causing
inadequate filling).
Results when increased fluid pushes fluid back into the
Right-Sided Heart
pulmonary system, which congests the right side of the heart
Failure (RSHF)
and causes the right ventricle to fail.
Figure1: Blood flows through the heart, following the direction of the arrows. Blue
represents deoxygenated blood, and red represents oxygenated blood.
