What it means
A label from the NANDA-I list of nursing diagnoses. It is used for clients with problems such as heart failure, heart attack, dysrhythmias or severe blood loss, when the amount of blood the heart pumps each minute (cardiac outputKAR-dee-ak OWT-putThe amount of blood the heart pumps out in one minute.Full entry ) falls. The plan aims to support the heart and protect the organs that depend on its blood flow.
For the nurse
Watch heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, skin color and temperature, capillary refill, urine output, mental status and lung sounds, and report changes. Plan rest between activities.
Related terms
heart failure
A long-term condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.
cardiac output
The amount of blood the heart pumps out in one minute.
nursing diagnosis
A nurse's judgment about a client's response to a health problem, which the nurse can treat within the nursing scope.