Q. Dietary Management during congestive cardiac failure?

Nutritional care is a little difficult in congestive cardiac failure. This is because oedema complicates the nutritional assessment of the subject. Because of cardiac cachexia the subject can loose about 10-15% of the usual weight and there is depletion of lean body mass. Poor reserves of essential vitamins, calcium and iron have also been observed. Thus, in view of the symptoms and treatment objectives, let us first identify the goals of dietary management.

The objectives of dietary management include:

- To minimize stress workload on the heart

- To correct and maintain fluid and electrolyte imbalance

- To maintain a desirable body weight, and

- To maintain an optimum nutritional status.

Keeping the above objectives in mind let us proceed over to the nutrient requirements of the patient. We shall begin with the energy needs and then precede lo the macro/ micronutrient intake which would be most feasible for the patient. Let us move on to the calorie requirement.