Heart Failure
Biology: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 2.4.10
Treatment of Heart Failure
In the extreme case of heart failure, patients may require a donor heart to be transplanted. Immediate transplantation is not always possible. This means that patients can be kept alive using artificial hearts whilst they wait for a donor heart.
Benefits of artificial hearts
- Artificial hearts are unlikely to be rejected by the patient’s immune system, so immunosuppressant drugs (prevent rejection) are unnecessary.
- Artificial hearts can also be used to provide the heart with some rest to allow it to recover.
Drawbacks of artificial hearts
- Artificial hearts can result in long and expensive stays in hospital.
- They can also cause blood clotting, which can potentially lead to strokes.
Test yourself on Heart Failure
Why is a donor heart transplant often preferred over long-term use of an artificial heart?
Why might a patient be given an artificial heart rather than an immediate heart transplant?
Why might an artificial heart be used to give a patient's heart a period of rest?
Why might a patient with an artificial heart need immunosuppressant drugs less than a patient with a donor heart?
Why might doctors still use an artificial heart on a patient, even though it carries a risk of causing blood clots?