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Congestive heart failure

Prevalence
Causes
Clinical features
Differential diagnosis
Investigations
Therapy
Prevention
Prognosis
Differential diagnosis

Think about other causes of breathlessness. 
Common causes include b
  • asthma
  • COPD
  • arrhythmia
  • infection
  • anaemia
  • interstitial lung disease
Why?

Heart failure is a common cause of dyspnoea

Causes of dyspnoea b %
asthma 33%
heart failure 31%
COPD 9%
arrhythmia 7%
infection 5%
interstitial lung disease 4%
anaemia 2%
pulmonary embolism <2%

 

 

Expiry date: June 2003
Levels of Evidence used in grading these guides

Author   CM   Ball
Reviewer   B   Lee
CAT Writers   CM   Ball , CJ   Wotton , A   Yates