Cardiac Resynchronization and Heart Failure
Bree Doran, MSN, AG-ACNP & Dr. Nicole Oshlanski, DNP, CNM
Introduction
• Heart failure is leading cause of
hospitalizations in US in those 65 years
and older
• Approximately 6 million Americans have
diagnosis of heart failure
• Continued research on heart failure
treatment, device implantation and
outpatient management will help
decrease hospitalizations thus decreasing
healthcare financial burden
Goal
• Evaluate effectiveness of cardiac
resynchronization device implantation in
conjunction with guideline directed
medical therapy on heart failure
symptoms and heart failure patients’
quality of life
• Educate heart failure patients on how to
be active participants in managing and
evaluating their symptoms
Outcome Objectives
• Will better understand the use of cardiac
resynchronization devices in heart failure
patients and if they improve quality of life
and decrease frequency of
symptoms/hospitalization
• Patients will be able to better understand
their current heart failure symptoms,
importance of taking medications and
weight daily and when to seek help
Bitonte College of Health and Human Services
Project Description
• This project will look to understand how
the implantation of a cardiac
resynchronization therapy device in
addition to guideline-directed medical
therapy effects the overall life in those with
heart failure, specifically: decreasing
mortality, increasing left ventricular ejection
fraction and delaying disease progression
with an improvement in New York Heart
Association Functional Classification
• Subject will be patients with diagnosed
heart failure (identified by LVEF on ECHO)
who are 45 years or older
Evaluation
• Patients will utilize NYHA scale and
complete Kansa City Cardiomyopathy
Questionnaire, which will be collected
before and after introducing the intervention
• Participants will keep a daily log of
medications taken and current symptoms
they are experiencing.
• After six months, patients will have an
echocardiogram performed to evaluate left
ventricular ejection fraction.
Conclusion
It is evident that the implantation of a cardiac
resynchronization device is extremely beneficial in
helping improve heart failure symptoms and improve
quality of life while decreasing hospitalizations but there
is a lack of evidence when adding guideline medical
therapy. Healthcare providers should be mindful of
medication management in these critically ill heart failure
patients to reduce healthcare costs related to
hospitalizations and improve patient outcomes and
compliance. When a patient feels good and feels an
improvement in symptoms, compliance is easier to
obtain.
References
American Heart Association. (2020). Heart Failure. Retrieved
March 13, 2020, from https://www.heart.org/en/health-
topics/heart-failure
Benjamin EJ, Muntner P, Alonso A, Bittencourt MS, Callaway
CW, Carson AP, et al (2019). Heart disease and stroke
statistics—2019 update: A report from the American Heart
Association. Circulation. 2019;139(10): e56–528.
Cardiac Resynchronization Device (CRT). (2020). Retrieved
March 24, 2020, from https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-
treatments/c/cardiac-resynchronization-therapy.html
Griffin, R. M. (2004, September 30). Implantable Devices for
Heart-Failure Treatment. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from
https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-
failure/features/heart-failure-treatment-by-device#1
Department of Nursing