descompensada

Descompensada is the feminine form of the adjective descompensado, used in medical and clinical language to describe a state in which a previously compensated condition has worsened and lost the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis without intervention. The term comes from des- (not) + compensar (to compensate), and its use implies a deterioration that requires assessment and often treatment.

In medicine, the expression is common across organ systems. Insuficiencia cardíaca descompensada refers to an abrupt worsening of heart failure with symptoms such as shortness of breath, rapid or irregular heartbeat, fluid retention, and edema, sometimes leading to pulmonary edema and necessitating urgent care. Descompensación hepática denotes liver failure to cope with disease, presenting with jaundice, ascites, encephalopathy, and coagulation disturbances. Descompensación diabética or hiperglucemia descompensada describes poorly controlled diabetes with dehydration, polyuria, weight loss, and risk of ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar states.

Descompensación also appears in psychiatry and mental health, where descompensación psíquica indicates deterioration of a psychiatric condition due to stress, non-adherence to treatment, or intercurrent illness, potentially presenting as agitation, psychosis, or cognitive decline. Such decompensations typically require clinical evaluation to identify triggers and adjust management.

Overall, descompensada signals a shift from a stabilized, compensated state to a less stable one, often prompting urgent or revised medical assessment and care. See also descompensación, descompensado, and related terms in specific medical contexts.