Failure of the cardiovascular system to supply adequate levels of blood to body tissues, as a result of hemorrhage, heart malfunction, or collapse of the peripheral vascular system.
Failure of the cardiovascular system to provide body tissues with enough blood for proper functioning. It may be caused by cardiac failure or peripheral circulatory failure, as occurs in shock, in which there is general peripheral vasodilation with “pooling” of blood in the expanded vascular space, resulting in decreased venous return.