left ventricular failure, heart failure in which the left ventricle fails to contract forcefully enough to maintain a normal cardiac output and peripheral perfusion. Pulmonary congestion and edema develop from back pressure of accumulated blood in the left ventricle. Signs include breathlessness, crackles, dyspnea, orthopnea, pallor, sweating, and peripheral vasoconstriction. The heart is usually enlarged, resulting in a displaced point of maximum impulse. A prominent third heart sound (gallop), normal in children and young adults, is a sign of left ventricular failure in older adults with heart disease. Hypertension is common and may be a causative factor or a result of pulmonary edema. Treatment includes meperidine or morphine for sedation, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or calcium channel blockers to reduce afterload, diuretics, digitalis, and rest. See also congestive heart failure.
