decompensation

decompensation /de·com·pen·sa·tion/ (de?kom-pen-sa´shun)

1. inability of the heart to maintain adequate circulation, marked by dyspnea, venous engorgement, and edema.

2. in psychiatry, failure of defense mechanisms resulting in progressive personality disintegration.

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de·com·pen·sa·tion (dkm-pn-sshn)

n.

1. Failure of the heart to maintain adequate blood circulation, marked by labored breathing, engorged blood vessels, and edema.

2. The appearance or exacerbation of a mental disorder due to failure of defense mechanisms.

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decompensation (dē·kmˈ·pen·sāˑ·shn),

n 1. a persistent (yet reversible, in some cases) pattern of dysfunction, in which homeostatic mechanisms are overwhelmed, either in part or completely.
2. postural pattern in which the musculoskeletal system indicates dysfunctional ad-justments as a result of a physical anomaly, such as shortened leg.

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decompensation

failure of compensation.

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cardiac decompensation

inability of the heart to maintain adequate circulation; it is marked by dyspnea, venous engorgement, cyanosis and edema.