Table 1: Mechanisms and Causes of Right Ventricular Failure.

Mechanism	Cause
Increased afterload	LV backward failure (pulmonary hypertension associated with left-sided heart disease) Pulmonary embolism, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension Pulmonary artery hypertension (Exacerbated) chronic pulmonary disease Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome Sleep-related breathing disorders, obesity-hypoventilation syndrome Mechanical ventilation (Repaired) congenital heart disease with systemic RV or RV outflow obstruction
Reduced contractility	RV ischaemia/RV infarction RV injury, systemic inflammatory response (SIRS) Myocarditis Cardiomyopathies (e.g. dilated cardiomyopathy or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) Arrhythmogenic RV cardiomyopathy, Uhl’s anomaly
Abnormal preload	Hypo- or hypervolaemia LV forward failure Pericardial tamponade Mechanical ventilation Chronic left-to-right shunt
Altered interdependence	Pericardial tamponade Pericardial disease Septal shift
Altered rhythm	Bradyarrhythmia Tacharrhythmia

LV = left ventricle; RV = right ventricle.