A 62 year old man is breathless following his heart attack. He is unable to climb a flight of 10 stairs without stopping. Which of the following is true?
He has NYHA (New York Heart Association) class I heart failure
He has NYHA class II heart failure
He has NYHA class III heart failure
He has NYHA class IV heart failure
NYHA class is not appropriate for use in patients who have sustained myocardial infarction.
He has NYHA class III heart failure.
NYHA Class I = significant exertion to make you breathless
NYHA Class II = SOB on moderate exertion
NYHA Class III =SOB on minimal exertion (e.g. one flight of stairs)
NYHA Class IV =SOB at rest
CLINICAL PEARL – this is critically important in clinical exams. You can’t comment on a patients functional status unless you’ve seen them exert themselves or they are SOB at rest.