Questions to ask GP re heart failure, ECG and echo results

[hermum]

Hi, I have a phone appt on Friday with my GP to discuss test results,meds and how I'm doing.Background

NT pro BNP of 529 in November and referred for ECG

December ECG showed Left bundle branch block. I only found this out by asking the receptionist to read out the referral letter to cardiology.

Echo was done on Tuesday and GP has had results and wants to speak to me on Friday but I have no idea what to ask, I find phone calls harder than face to face. On the NHS app a GP has put Heart failure G58.

Can anyone give me any pointers please on what I should ask or what the GP is likely to ask me, I don't want to waste the appointment being tongue tied.

Thank you.

[RufusScamp]

WhenI was diagnosed with LBBB, I found several people I knew also had it. I did not get a totally satisfactory answer as to what it meant, but it did not seem to affect me much in terms of what I could do.

The phrase "heart failure" sounds worse than it actually is. It just means your heart is not working as efficiently as it should. Ask about your ejection fraction - a measure of efficiency. It should be around 55 - 60 %. Mine was 20%,but I was perfectly capable of getting around.

You need to ask about treatment, there are some very good meds now, and they might consider a pacemaker, depending on the severity. You should be referred to a cardio rehab course, which will establish a suitable level of exercise for you, and hopefully give you a lot more information.

There is a lot of useful stuff on the main BHF website - don't use Dr Google!!!

Write down what you want to ask, and make a note of the answers. I hope all goes well.

[hermum in reply to RufusScamp]

Thank you, that's just it I had no idea what to ask. I will ask about my ejection fraction and treatment.

I was on Bisoprolol for a couple of years after an echocardiogram showed something but with the pandemic I only had a phone appt with the cardiologist and I don't know what it showed, that was done after the 24 hr ECG showed something but again I've never been told what. (I stopped taking it because I was getting worse, so it seemed pointless taking it).

Was your LBBB discovered at the same time as the heart failure?

I have to stop half way up the stairs, a bit like Kermit. I do walk my dog most days but can't do slopes, hills have been out of the question for several months and what I used to walk in 10 minutes takes me over an hour now and then I come home and sleep for several hours.

I've checked the main site and NHS but can't find anything about the kinds of questions I should ask, so I just get talked at and promptly forget everything.

I've had dogs with heart failure so know it's just really inefficient, not a failure.

Hopefully I will get referred somewhere so I can find out more and find something that means I can get about again, walk the dog and stand up without feeling I'm going to pass out. Especially if it's a face to face referral, I am finding phone consults hard, I like to think about what I've been told and feel rushed.

I hope you're doing well

[RufusScamp in reply to hermum]

My LBBB was discovered when the ambulance men came about my chest pain. I didn't learn about my heart failure until after I was discharged from hospital.

I had a bad spell a few weeks before my chest infection, but it was much better by then. It's an odd business.

[Qualipop in reply to hermum]

Well, there are your first questions. Why were you given bisopralol and, having stopped it, would it have had any adverse effects. I hope you asked the GP about stopping it. What did that 24 hour ECG show and why wasn't it explained properly t o you? What exactly is LBBB, treatment and prognosis? What is your ejection fraction? Can it be improved and how? What kind of exercise should you be doing?

[Cat04]

Heart Failure G58 should be used to identify that a patient has clinical. symptomatic heart failure (e.g. shortness of breath, fluid overload etc) Ask you GP for a copy of your echo report - a lot will be measurements but it will also give a summary of findings. Get them to email you a copy today before your appt so you can raise points from the report within your tel appt.

You'll need to ask about ongoing medication/treatment/more diagnostics & surveillance. Make a list of questions now and then write down the answers during the phonecall. If you still have questions after the conversation try contacting the BHF nurses - bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

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Its a good suggestion from @Cat04 to talk to the BHF nurses. However it might be beneficial if you you spoke to them before your GP phone call if you can rather than after to help you prepare the right sort of questions for your GP.