decompensation

[ dee-kom-puhn-sey-shuhn ]

noun

1. Medicine/Medical. the inability of a diseased heart to compensate for its defect.
2. Psychology. a loss of ability to maintain normal or appropriate psychological defenses, sometimes resulting in depression, anxiety, or delusions.

decompensation

/ diːˌkɒmpɛnˈseɪʃən /

noun

1. pathol inability of an organ, esp the heart, to maintain its function due to overload caused by a disease

Word History and Origins

Origin of decompensation¹

First recorded in 1900–05; de- + compensation

Example Sentences

And a decompensation occurred, which resulted in his putting on the suit of The Conservative.

From The Daily Beast

Digitalis, when the cardiac tone is low and decompensation is present.

From Project Gutenberg

The natural end of patients in this group is either uremia or cardiac decompensation (so-called cardiorenal disease).

From Project Gutenberg

The terminal condition in most of the patients in this group is cardiac decompensation.

From Project Gutenberg

He had just returned from a hospital in another city, where he had gone with what was apparently cardiac decompensation.

From Project Gutenberg

It might be possible with this instrument to foretell an oncoming decompensation by the rise in venous pressure.

From Project Gutenberg