Faces of Right Ventricular Failure, An Issue of Cardiology Clinics

Although heart failure typically begins with the left side of the heart, it is also important for cardiologists to understand right-sided heart failure, which is the inability of the right side of the heart to adequately pump venous blood into the pulmonary circulation. Right heart failure causes a back-up of fluid in the body, resulting in swelling and edema. This issue covers the normal right ventricle (RV), imaging of the RV, RV failure in a variety of settings, and tratmen tof RV failure, including interventions.