Decompensation

In medicine, decompensation is the functional deterioration of a structure or system that had been previously working with the help of compensation. Decompensation may occur due to fatigue, stress, illness, or old age. When a system is "compensated", it is able to function despite stressors or defects. Decompensation describes an inability to compensate for these deficiencies. It is a general term commonly used in medicine to describe a variety of situations.

Medical term

For example, cardiac decompensation may refer to the failure of the heart to maintain adequate blood circulation, after long-standing (previously compensated) vascular disease (see heart failure). Short-term treatment of cardiac decompensation can be achieved through administration of dobutamine, resulting in an increase in heart contractility via an inotropic effect. ^[1]

Kidney failure can also occur following a slow degradation of kidney function due to an underlying untreated illness; the symptoms of the latter can then become much more severe due to the lack of efficient compensation by the kidney.^{[ citation needed ]}

Some of the signs of chronic liver disease detectable on clinical examination are associated with decompensation.^{[ citation needed ]}

Psychology

In psychology, the term refers to an individual's loss of healthy defense mechanisms in response to stress, resulting in personality disturbance or psychological imbalance. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

References

1. Joseph; et al. (2009). "Acute Decompensated Heart Failure". Texas Heart Institute Journal. 36 (6): 510–20. PMC   2801958 . PMID   20069075.
2. Tamparo, Carol D; Lewis, Marcia A (2011). Diseases of the Human Body. F.A. Davis Company. pp.  527. ISBN   978-0803625051.
3. "Free Dictionary". Free Dictionary. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
4. Millon, Theodore (2011). Disorders of Personality:Introducing a DSM / ICD Spectrum from Normal to Abnormal 3rd Edition. Wiley. pp.  407–408. ISBN   978-0470040935.

External links

• Heffner, C.L. (2001). Psychology 101. Archived 3 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
• Tucker-Ladd, C.E. (1996–2000). Psychological Self-Help.