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Heart Failure, Congestive

Definition: A complication of HEART DISEASES. Defective cardiac filling and/or impaired contraction and emptying, resulting in the heart's inability to pump a sufficient amount of blood to meet the needs of the body tissues or to be able to do so only with an elevated filling pressure. (from Braunwald, Heart Disease, 5th ed)
Notes: "scompenso di cuore" is "heart decompensation" in Italian; do not confuse with CARDIOMYOPATHY, CONGESTIVE; heart failure that is not congestive is CARDIAC OUTPUT, LOW

Heart Failure, Congestive Categories.
Edema, Cardiac - A manifestation of congestive heart failure caused by increased venous and capillary pressures and often associated with the retention of sodium by the kidneys. (Dorland, 27th ed)

Heart Failure, Congestive Definitions and Terms

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