The Heart of the Matter: End-Stage Heart Disease and Hospice is available for 90 days after enrollment.

Heart failure is a major new frontier for hospice. It is now the leading cause of hospital admission in the western world, and the only cardiac-related diagnosis still rising in prevalence. This presentation will discuss pathogenesis, staging, assessment, prognosis and symptom management in heart failure. Also we will learn about advance care planning, determining hospice eligibility, and managing infusions and implanted defibrillators. The ultimate goal is to integrate knowledge about treatment advances and comfort care, and to provide them in a seamless continuum to patients with late-stage disease.

Objectives:

• List two reasons for the current epidemic of heart failure.
• State two classes of medications necessary for optimal treatment of heart failure.
• Describe the characteristics of Stage D heart failure.
• State the most sensitive and specific physical sign of fluid overload in heart failure.
• State the only class of drugs that has been found to be effective in relieving dyspnea.
• Describe the difference in approach between discontinuation of pacemakers and implanted defibrillators at the end of life.

Nurse:  NHPCO is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

NHPCO designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.5 contact hours. Nurses should claim only the contact hours commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Accredited status by ANCC refers only to continuing nursing education and does not imply endorsement of any commercial product discussed in conjunction with this activity.

Social Worker: NHPCO is an approved provider of continuing education contact hours by the National Association of Social Workers (provider #886414158). This education activity is approved for 1 hours determined by the content, and social workers are awarded continuing education hours commensurate with the extent of their participation.

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