Importance of right ventricular function in congestive heart failure.

Failure of the right ventricle may be due to a congenital anomaly, intrinsic disease, pulmonary stenosis or pulmonary hypertension. Left ventricular failure may also lead to right ventricular failure if the heart fails totally or secondary to pulmonary hypertension, or if filling of the right ventricle is decreased due to left ventricular dilation or hypertrophy. Treatment of right ventricular failure has yielded disappointing results, except when caused by left ventricular failure that responds to therapy. Digitalis and diuretics may have more adverse than beneficial effects. In patients with both left and right ventricular failure, survival is usually less than 2 years.