MEDLINEplus Health Information: Return to home page   A service of the National Library of Medicine: Go to NLM home page
Search     Advanced Search    Site Map    About MEDLINEplus    Home
Health Topics: conditions, diseases and wellness Drug Information: generic and brand name drugs Dictionaries: spellings and definitions of medical terms Directories: doctors, dentists and hospitals Other Resources: organizations, libraries, publications, MEDLINE

Medical Encyclopedia

Disease     Injury     Nutrition     Poison     Special     Surgery     Symptoms     Tests

Heart anatomy
Heart, front view
Heart, section through the middle
 
Overview   Symptoms   Treatment   Prevention   

Left-sided heart failure

Alternative names:

congestive heart failure - left

Symptoms:

Signs and tests:

Physical examination may reveal irregular or rapid heartbeat. A heart murmur may be present. Respiratory rate may be increased above 20 breaths per minute (greater than 60 breaths per minute in infants). There may signs of pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs). Listening to the chest (auscultation) may reveal lung crackles or abnormal heart sounds.

An ECG may show arrhythmias and/or cardiac stress.
Enlargement of the heart or decreased heart functioning may be seen on these tests:

Other tests that may (occasionally) be performed include:

Multiple laboratory studies may be performed, including CBC, blood chemistry, urinalysis, and others to determine the cause and effects of heart failure.


Adam

The information provided herein should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Copyright 2000 adam.com, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Health Topics | Drug Information | Dictionaries | Directories | Other Resources