What typically follows acute myocardial infarction or valve rupture?

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or valve rupture can lead to acute heart failure due to the sudden and significant loss of cardiac function. When the heart muscle is damaged (as occurs in an AMI), its ability to pump effectively is compromised. This results in an acute overload of fluid in the lungs and systemic circulation, which characterizes acute heart failure. The rapid onset of symptoms such as dyspnea, orthopnea, and fatigue reflects the urgent need for medical intervention to stabilize the patient.

In contrast, chronic heart failure represents a long-term condition that develops over time and wouldn't typically follow immediately after an acute event like myocardial infarction or valve rupture. Stage 3 heart failure is a classification of chronic heart failure, indicating advanced stages of the disease rather than an immediate consequence of an acute event. Right heart failure, while it may occur, is more often seen as a complication of conditions affecting the right side of the heart (such as pulmonary hypertension) and doesn’t directly result from a primary acute myocardial infarction or valve rupture.

Thus, acute heart failure is the immediate and critical response following such severe cardiac events, necessitating prompt assessment and management in an acute care setting.