Heart failure does not mean your heart is about to stop working. It also doesn't mean that you have had a heart attack. Heart failure means your heart isn't pumping blood as well as it should.
What to expect as a hospital patient
At Allina's hospitals, our doctors and nurses know proven ways to treat heart failure and help improve your life.
- A left ventricular systolic (LVS) function evaluation will show how well the main pumping chamber of your heart – the left ventricle – is working.
- These types of medicines will help your heart work better, especially if you have left ventricular dysfunction, a problem that occurs when the heart's main chamber has stiffened or enlarged:
Beta blockers also may be used to treat heart failure. This type of medicine can block the effects of stress hormones, reducing the workload on your heart.
- If you smoke, you will receive smoking cessation advice and counseling. Quitting tobacco use will help your heart pump blood more effectively. It also can improve other health problems.
Before you leave the hospital, we will make sure you understand what you can do to manage your heart failure. You should receive written information about physical activity, monitoring your weight, a low-sodium diet, heart failure medicine, and what to do if your condition worsens.
Understanding the danger signs to watch for will help you take an active role in improving your health. The earlier you recognize these heart failure symptoms and report them to your health care provider, the less time you may need to spend in the hospital:
- breathing problems
- waking up breathless at night
- swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, hands and/or lower back
- swelling in the abdomen
- weight gain, even with loss of appetite
- extreme fatigue
- dizziness, lightheadedness, inability to concentrate
- heart palpitations
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How is Allina doing?
| Percent of heart failure patients who received all appropriate care measures |
| Allina - all hospitals
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Allina - all hospitals
Abbott Northwestern Hospital
Mercy Hospital
United Hospital
The data from these hospitals includes less than 25 cases; this number is too small to reliably predict performance:
Buffalo Hospital
Cambridge Medical Center
New Ulm Medical Center
Owatonna Hospital
St. Francis Regional Medical Center
Unity Hospital |
Minnesota Hospital Quality Comparison
As part of the Minnesota Hospital Quality Partnership, we report on how well our hospitals are doing in heart failure care. That information appears on the Minnesota Hospital Quality Comparison Web site.
Visit www.mnhospitalquality.org to see how we compare to other Minnesota hospitals in providing optimal care to our patients with heart failure.
Innovation of the Year in Patient Care Award
The Minnesota Hospital Association recognized Owatonna Hospital for its for its Cardiac Heart Failure Initiative with an Innovation of the Year in Patient Care Award.
Heart Failure Information and Care
Heart failure zones
Heart failure: When to call your health care provider
Heart failure: When to call 911
Heart failure: Overviews, worksheets and other resources
Cardiovascular disease specialists
Hospital Stay Information
Your rights and responsibilities as a hospital patient
SPEAK UP for your health care
How to prevent infections during your hospital stay
Planning for your hospital discharge
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