Progressive heart failure secondary to a high output state.

A high cardiac output state has been an infrequent but previously reversible cause of heart failure in patients with hemodialysis fistulas. A patient with two proximal upper extremity fistulas was found to have progressive depression in his left ventricular function and a high output state. His symptoms did not respond to the removal of the most prominent fistula, suggesting that chronic volume overload from the high output state may irreversibly depress left ventricular function.