Community Care: Heart Failure Checklist

Green

(symptoms  well controlled):

• No changes in your shortness of breath.
• No extra swelling of your feet, ankles or stomach.
• No chest pain.
• No extra weight gain of more than 2-3lbs/1-1.5kg (it may change 1 or 2lbs / 0.5kg some days).
• If your weight gain has increased by more than 2-3lbs/1-1.5kg - check very carefully tomorrow and go to the yellow area if it has.

Yellow

(contact your doctor or nurse as soon as  possible if you  experience):

• Rapid weight gain of 4-5lbs/2-3kg or more over 2-3 consecutive days or a week.
• Increased shortness of breath and/or tolerating less activity than your normal.
• Increased swelling of your feet, ankles, or stomach.
• Any of the following: Loss of appetite, feeling full, bloating, nausea, or stomach/waistline larger than your normal
• Worsening dry cough.
• New dizziness or change in the frequency or type of dizziness if you already experience this.
• Feeling uneasy, you know something is not right.
• It is harder for you to breathe when lying down.

Red

(call for help  immediately if you experience):

Call 999 if you have any of the following:

• Struggling to breathe.
• Unrelieved shortness of breath while sitting still.
• Have chest pain not relieved by GTN spray (unless you have been advised not to use it by a medical professional).
• Severe and persistent shortness of breath.