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Fluid overload refers to a condition in which
excess salt and water accumulates throughout a patient's body. Although
not the only, the number one cause of fluid overload is congestive
heart failure (CHF). In fact, this excess fluid is what puts the
"congestive" in congestive heart failure and is the cause
of the most obvious and common symptoms seen.
An inefficient heart can lead to a buildup of excess
fluid which accumulates in the lungs, liver and extremities, causing
shortness of breath, decreased function of vital organs and swelling
of the extremities.
CHF is a condition that affects approximately
five million Americans and is responsible for over
one million annual hospitalizations. More than 500,000
new cases of heart failure are diagnosed each year.
This
surpasses the number of hospitalizations due to all forms of cancer
and heart attacks combined.
The estimated economic burden of heart failure
care is in excess of $28 billion in the United States.
Due to prolonged hospitalizations and high readmission
rates, many hospitals often lose more than $1,000 for each heart
failure admission.
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