How is congestive heart failure diagnosed?
The diagnosis of congestive heart failure is most often a clinical one that is based on knowledge of the patient’s pertinent medical history, a careful physical examination, and selected laboratory tests. A thorough patient history may disclose the presence of one or more of the symptoms of congestive heart failure described above. In addition, a history of significant coronary artery disease, prior heart attack, hypertension, diabetes, or significant alcohol use can be clues. The physical examination is focused on detecting the presence of extra fluid in the body (breath sounds, leg swelling, or neck veins) as well as carefully characterizing the condition of the heart (pulse, heart size, heart sounds, and murmurs). Useful diagnostic tests include the electrocardiogram (ECG) and chest x-ray to explore the possibility of previous heart attacks, arrhythmia, heart enlargement, and fluid in and around the lungs. Perhaps the single most useful diagnostic test is the echocardiogram, in whic
