What Happens Next?

Congestive Heart Failure Learning Assessment
We want to give you the information that you need to understand your condition. The Congestive Heart Failure Learning Assessment will help us evaluate your needs.

Congestive Heart Failure Outpatient Program
The goals of the program are to:

	provide the best in heart failure care, education and prevention.
	help you reach and maintain your highest level of health.

The heart failure team coordinates the program. It is staffed by registered nurses who care for heart failure patients. The team also includes your primary care doctor and/or cardiologist.

Your doctor will be updated on your progress in the program.

With the proper balance of medicines, diet, activity and clinical support, heart failure can be effectively managed. The outpatient program is designed to reinforce the care you receive from your doctor. The outpatient program includes:

	Telephone call. A nurse will call you about 48 hours after you are discharged from the hospital. The nurse will follow-up on your progress and schedule a visit with you.
	Follow-up education visit. About 14 to 21 days after discharge, you will have a follow-up visit with the heart failure nurse. During this visit, the nurse will check your weight, heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. The nurse will talk to you (and your family) about heart failure, your medicines, your treatment plan, and when you should contact your doctor.
	Support Group meetings. The congestive heart failure support group allows people to share information and experiences to help them cope with their illness. You learn from others who also have heart failure. You will have the opportunity to have your weight, blood pressure and heart rate checked at this time. Also, a speaker presents information on some aspect of congestive heart failure.
	Additional follow-up. Additional visits or telephone follow-up will be arranged.

For more information about the congestive heart failure outpatient program at your hospital call Advocate’s HealthAdvisor at 1.800.3.ADVOCATE.

Cardiac outpatient drug infusion treatment
Some people with heart failure or cardiomyopathy benefit from receiving intravenous (IV) drug therapy after they leave the hospital. The medicines being used for this treatment are Dobutamine, Amirnone and Milrinone. The medicines work to increase the strength of your heart muscle contraction. This helps to increase the amount of blood that goes to the other parts of your body. The positive things these medicines do last past the time of infusion and treatment may even improve the function of your heart.

Your doctor will decide which medicine is best for you and how often you need to receive it. Some people will receive weekly infusions and others will receive them more or less frequently. Some come to the hospital, others to the doctor’s office and still others receive this treatment at home. Your doctor will work with you to determine the best place for you to receive your treatment.

The steps in this therapy are basically the same no matter which medicine you receive or where your receive your infusions.

	You will be weighed.
	Blood will be drawn to monitor your electrolytes and kidney function.
	You may be connected to a portable heart monitor to check your heart rhythm.
	Your medicine will be given through an intravenous (IV) line, using an infusion pump.
	Treatments last 4 to 6 hours.
	You are welcome to bring a lunch, or healthful snacks will be provided for you.
	Your nurse will check the results of your blood work and will contact your doctor with any abnormal results.
	During treatment, your nurse will listen to your heart and lungs, check for fluid retention, and ask you questions about your heart failure.
	Your nurse will check your blood pressure and heart rate frequently during the infusion.
	Your nurses will check your intake and output (the fluids you take in and eliminate) during the therapy.
	When the infusion is complete, your IV will be discontinued as soon as your pulse and blood pressure are stable.

You may use your treatment time to ask your nurse or doctor any questions you have about your condition. It is important for you to understand your disease and what you can do to keep your symptoms under control so you can stay active and enjoy the things you do.