Which of the following conditions do you suspect?

You are called to a nursing home for a patient with swelling to her legs. Upon arrival, you find a 76-year-old patient sitting in a wheelchair. Assessment confirms pitting edema to both lower legs. You are able to palpate a dorsalis pedal pulse bilaterally. Her skin is warm, pink, and dry. Her lungs are clear bilaterally.

Which of the following conditions do you suspect?
A . Deep vein thrombosis.
B . Bilateral acute arterial occlusion.
C . Atherosclerosis.
D . Chronic CH

View Answer

Answer: D

Explanation:

Edema to the legs or sacrum are often a result of right-sided congestive heart failure. Often, there may also be jugular vein distention and ascites present as well. The most common cause of right-sided heart failure is left-sided heart failure; therefore, you may also note signs and symptoms of left-sided heart failure such as a dry, hacking cough, or coughing up pink frothy sputum, shortness of breath, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, and fatigue