Is Right Ventricular Cardiogenic Shock Important To You?

Introduction

In the scenario of cardiogenic shock, attention was almost exclusively focused on the left ventricle (LV). Currently the concept that the circulatory system involves the interdependence between the LV and the right ventricle (RV) has been reinforced, and researchers seek to achieve a clearer understanding of the role of the right ventricle in cardiogenic shock.

In the 1940s, in search of a more in-depth understanding of the role of the RV, the American doctor and researcher Isaac Starr and his team carried out a series of experiments on animals, in which they caused severe damage to the right ventricle. Observing only a small increase in peripheral venous congestion, they concluded that “the weakness on the right side of the heart… appears to be less important” in the establishment of heart failure (HF).

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