Left-sided heart failure commonly results in which finding?

• A. Jugular venous distension
• B. Pulmonary edema
• C. Hepatomegaly
• D. Dependent edema

Answer: (B)

Understanding how left-sided heart failure affects the lungs helps explain the finding. When the left ventricle can’t pump effectively, blood backs up into the left atrium and then into the pulmonary circulation. This raises hydrostatic pressure in the pulmonary capillaries, causing fluid to leak into the interstitial and alveolar spaces. The result is pulmonary edema, which presents with shortness of breath, crackles on auscultation, and often a severe hypoxia or a cough that may be pink and frothy.

Jugular venous distension is more a sign of right-sided or biventricular congestion, reflecting backing up into the systemic veins. Hepatomegaly and dependent edema likewise indicate venous congestion in the liver and peripheral tissues from right-sided failure. So, while those findings can occur with congestive heart failure, the hallmark finding specifically associated with left-sided failure is pulmonary edema.