Heart Failure and the Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)

Breathing
  • Signs of labored breathing
  • Tripod positioning
  • “Number of pillows”
    • The question of how many pillows do you sleep on can be asked.  More pillows means the patient has difficulty breathing when supine
  • Obvious increase in rate and depth of breathing
    • General doorway assessment give you the "gut" instinct that breathing is labored