Lesson 1Past heart history, previous heart failure, heart vessel disease, vessel reopening, irregular heartbeats, and hospital staysThis part looks at how to get a clear past heart history, including previous heart failure, heart vessel disease, vessel reopening, irregular heartbeats, and hospital stays, to better understand the possible causes, outlook, and treatment choices.
Recorded heart failure diagnosisHeart vessel disease and past heart attack detailsStent, bypass, and other vessel reopeningHistory of upper or lower chamber irregular heartbeatsPast heart and heart failure hospital staysStarting heart pump strength and past scansLesson 2Related symptoms: chest pain, heart flutters, fainting, near-fainting, fever, cough with phlegm vs dryThis part explains how to carefully check for chest pain, heart flutters, fainting, near-fainting, and lung or infection symptoms, to separate heart from non-heart causes and spot urgent warning signs needing quick action.
Nature and timing of chest painHeart flutters pattern and triggersFainting and near-fainting warning signsFever, chills, and infection hintsCough type, phlegm, and blood in coughLung lining vs pressure-like painLesson 3Start, length, and worsening of breathlessness and recent triggering eventsHere we organise questions on the start, length, and worsening of breathlessness, plus recent triggering events, to tell apart sudden, medium-term, and long-term patterns and find triggers like infection, reduced blood flow, or not following treatment.
Exact start and timeline of shortness of breathStable, getting better, or getting worse patternTriggers: effort, rest, or lying downRecent infections, fevers, or travelFood or medicine not followingRecent operation, injury, or pregnancyLesson 4Exercise ability, daily activity changes, and weight gain patternWe look at how to check exercise ability, daily activity changes, and weight gain patterns, using daily function history and recent changes to measure fluid buildup, response to treatment, and need to adjust water pills or other treatments.
Starting vs current activity levelShortness of breath with stairs or short walksRecent drop in daily activitiesDaily weight checking habitsQuick weight gain and fluid holdingEffect on job and caring rolesLesson 5Social and daily function status, home support, ability to come for check-up, and access to transport/emergency helpThis part guides checking social and daily function status, home support, check-up ability, and access to transport or emergency help, to plan safe going home, self-care, and need for extra community help.
Living setup and carer supportAbility to do basic daily tasksHealth knowledge and self-care skillsReliability of transport for check-upAccess to pharmacy and emergency careMoney or insurance limitsLesson 6Fluid intake, salt intake, alcohol use, and recent medicine changes or missed dosesHere we check fluid and salt intake, alcohol use, and recent medicine changes or missed doses, to clear up common triggers of sudden worsening heart failure and guide targeted patient teaching and advice.
Daily fluid amount and limitsDiet salt sources and habitsAlcohol amount, pattern, and heavy drinkingRecent new or stopped medicinesMissed doses of heart failure drugsPatient understanding of treatment planLesson 7Medicine following, over-the-counter drugs, herbal medicines, and recent painkiller or steroid useThis part covers medicine following, over-the-counter drugs, herbal therapies, and recent painkiller or steroid use, pointing out things that worsen fluid holding, blood pressure, or kidney function in heart failure patients.
Barriers to taking prescribed medicinesUse of over-the-counter cold and pain remediesRecent painkiller or similar inhibitor useBody-wide or inhaled steroid exposureHerbal and extra productsPharmacy check and recordsLesson 8Other conditions and risk factors: high blood pressure control, sugar control, long-term lung disease, kidney disease, and sleep breathing stopThis part covers getting other conditions and risk factors, including high blood pressure, sugar disease, long-term lung disease, kidney disease, and sleep breathing stop, stressing control status and links that affect sudden shortness of breath and heart failure seriousness.
High blood pressure history and control levelSugar disease length and problemsLong-term lung disease, wheeze, and lung function historyLong-term kidney disease stage and changesChecking for sleep breathing stop symptomsOverweight, smoking, and fat profileLesson 9Breathlessness when lying down, sudden night shortness of breath, and night cough detailsWe check targeted questions about breathlessness when lying down, sudden night shortness of breath, and night cough, including start, how often, and position triggers, to separate heart failure from lung or upper airway causes of night symptoms.
Number of pillows and sleep positionTiming and frequency of night shortness of breath episodesNight cough pattern and triggersRelief with sitting or standingOverlap with stomach acid or wheeze symptomsEffect on sleep quality and tirednessLesson 10Symptoms suggesting other causes: one-sided leg pain/swelling, blood in cough, fever, lung lining chest pain, or nerve signsWe focus on symptoms suggesting other causes, like lung clot, lung infection, collapsed lung, or nerve events, teaching targeted questions to separate these from main heart failure shows.
One-sided leg pain or swelling historyLung lining chest pain and lung clot suspicionFocused nerve weakness or confusionHigh fever, shakes, and lung infection hintsSudden shortness of breath and collapsed lungWarning signs needing quick action
