Heart Failure, Left-Sided

Description

• Occurs when the left cardiac ventricle no longer pumps blood efficiently

• When the left side of the heart encounters pumping problems, too much blood remains in the lungs and not enough of the oxygenated blood reaches the systemic circulation. This type of failure causes pulmonary congestion and edema as a result of increasing pressure from the growing volume of blood in the pulmonary circulation that is waiting to be pumped into the arterial circulation.

Signs

-Pulmonary congestion

-Pulmonary edema

-Pleural effusion

Causes

1. Mitral Valve Problems (Stenosis or Insufficiency)

2. Cardiomyopathies

3. Congenital Abnormalities

4. Myocardial Inflammation or Degeneration