Which is the most important goal in the nursing plan of care to decrease the frequency of hospitalizations for acute exacerbations of heart failure (HF) in older adults who have HF?
a. Control fluid balance.
b. Control blood pressure.
c. Prevent deconditioning.
d. Maintain patient safety.
A
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A Correct. The most important goal for keeping a patient who has heart failure out of the hospital is to control total body fluid because hypervolemia aggravates heart failure by increasing the blood volume and making the heart work harder. Controlling total body fluid also helps to prevent dyspnea and hypertension, maintain physical activity, improve rest and sleep, and promote nutrition for op-timal health and wellness.
B Incorrect. Controlling the blood pressure is an important part of heart failure therapy; however, fluid volume status is implicated most often in hospitaliza-tions for heart failure.
C Incorrect. Preventing deconditioning is an important yet challenging goal for patients with heart failure but it is not implicated frequently in hospitalizations for heart failure.
D Incorrect. Maintaining patient safety is an important goal for any patient but is not commonly implicated as a cause of hospitalizations for heart failure.
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