My 38 year old son and trach and vent with duchenne muscular dystrophy just got out of hospital with conjested heart failure, doctor claming normal heart funcations at 55% My son s is at 30 to 25%.we are on lots of med s does this mean his life is in danger soon or not? mom
Hi welcome to Chat Doctor. I understand your query and concern. Congestive heart failure has poor prognosis in all cases if the ejection fraction is under 30%. The overall prognosis in your sons' case is marginal since Duchess muscular dystrophy leads to respiratory complications affecting the cardiac output.It's always advisable to keep the blood pressure under 130/80 mm of Hg. Avoid overt treatment to prevent lightheadedness, for this I advise you to have a baseline 2 dimensional echocardiography, ECG,HS CRP and lipid profile to assess the basic cardiac reserve of your heart. Restrict the intake of salt to less than 6gm/day. Chat Doctor. Reduce the intake of fatty and fried food. Oatmeal for breakfast 30-50 gm taken in milk daily will clear the accumulated fat. Avoid smoking and alcohol. Semiannual follow-ups are advisable on maintenance. Once the above measures are carried out, good survival can be expected. Consult a Cardiologist for further expert management. Post your further queries if any. Thank you.