Heart Failure

**Semantic type:** Disease or Syndrome

**Definition:** Inability of the heart to pump blood at an adequate rate to meet tissue metabolic requirements. Clinical symptoms of heart failure include: unusual dyspnea on light exertion, recurrent dyspnea occurring in the supine position, fluid retention or rales, jugular venous distension, pulmonary edema on physical exam, or pulmonary edema on chest x-ray presumed to be cardiac dysfunction.

**Synonyms:** - Cardiac Failure - Cardiac Failure - Cardiac Failure - HF - Heart failure - Heart failure - Heart failure, unspecified