Cardiac impairment or heart failure?: Time for total political correctness?

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7516.577-d

BMJ 2005;331:577 (10 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7516.577-d

Letter

Cardiac impairment or heart failure?

Time for total political correctness?

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

EDITOR—Lehman et al point out that the term "cardiac failure"is less than helpful. It confuses doctors and it demoralisespatients.¹ Cardiac impairment may be, as they suggest, "kinder,and more accurate."

It is still not quite in tune with the politically correct cultureof the past couple of decades.² We would suggest a more appropriate,and current, term, "cardiac deferred success." It really impliesno blame to anyone: much better.

Bernard A Foëx, consultant in emergency medicine and critical care

bernard.foex@cmmc.nhs.uk
Department of Emergency Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WL

Simon Carley, locum consultant in emergency medicine

Department of Emergency Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WL

Competing interests: None declared.

Lehman R, Doust J, Glasziou P. Cardiac impairment or heart failure? BMJ 2005;331: 415-6. (20-27 August.)[Free Full Text]
Michel T. The guide to politically correct cardiology. J Irreproducible Results 1993:39(6): 7-8.