Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF): a clinical syndrome in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the metabolic needs of the body; characterized by ventricular dysfunction that results in low cardiac output.

Right heart failure (RHF): CHF due to right ventricular dysfunction; charcterized by backward heart failure. Blood is not pumped from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. Due to this, increased volume in the right ventricle prevents the entry of blood to ventricle from the superior vena cava and fluid portion of the blood backup throughout the body.
Left heart failure (LHF): CHF due to left ventricular dysfunction; characterized by forward heart failure. Blood is not adequately pumped from the left ventricle to the aorta and to peripheral circulation.