Definition

• Heart failure (HF)
  
  • An abnormality of cardiac structure or function that reduces the heart’s ability to eject blood (systolic dysfunction) or fill with blood (diastolic dysfunction), causing circulatory congestion, dyspnea, fatigue and weakness
• Acute HF is a sudden reduction in cardiac performance, resulting in:
  • Acute pulmonary edema
    • At its most extreme, life-threatening, acute development of alveolar edema in patients with or without previously compensated congestive HF
  • Hypotension with or without peripheral edema

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