The nurse knows that the client who is diagnosed with heart failure has a higher mortality rate. The best way to help decrease the incidence of heart failure is to:

Question

1. Teach clients about modifiable risk factors.
2. Teach clients about the higher incidence of sudden cardiac death.
3. Discuss the higher mortality with the health care provider.
4. Discuss heart failure statistics at a nursing meeting.

Answer 1

Teach clients about modifiable risk factors.

Rationale: Modifying a client's risk factors may help to decrease the client's susceptibility to heart failure. Limiting smoking and cardiotoxic substances, decreasing the likelihood of cardiac disease, and increasing activity may all help to decrease the soaring incidence of heart failure in the United States. Discussion with the client about higher incidence of sudden cardiac death will not impact the incidence of heart failure unless it scares a client into taking action. Discussion with the health care provider and nurses about heart failure may help promote awareness of the problem, but will not impact the client directly.