Abstract
Chronic cardiac failure exists where the state of failure is no longer wholly reversible by treatment and a persistent state of failure, with elevation of central venous pressure, necessitates permanent measures. Any of the causes of failure mentioned in the previous chapter may go on to a chronic state, a good example of which might be the chronic congestive cardiac failure of a coronary cardiomyopathy or alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Another example is chronic valvular disease of the heart, where perhaps there are one or two mixed valve lesions which have not been, or could not be, treated surgically. The life of the patient will be restricted by dyspnoea of effort, tiredness, lethargy and weary limbs. Yet with treatment it is very surprising that some patients can maintain a reasonable life for some years.
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© 1986 C F. P Wharton and A Archer
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Wharton, C.F.P., Archer, A.R. (1986). Chronic Cardiac Failure. In: Cardiology. Management of Common Diseases in Family Practice. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7309-4_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7309-4_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-011-7311-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-7309-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive