A patient is found to have reduced blood flow through pulmonary vessels and excess fluid accumulation in the abdomen and legs. Which of the following conditions would best explain this patient's symptoms?

Question

A patient is found to have reduced blood flow through pulmonary vessels and excess fluid accumulation in the abdomen and legs.  Which of the following conditions would best explain this patient's symptoms?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

11ecba2d_1031_1777_a3bf_df97249e0389_MD0008_00 The heart, consisting of four chambers (two atria and two ventricles), continuously contracts to pump blood throughout the circulatory system. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood returning from the lungs and transfers this blood into the left ventricle, a highly muscular chamber that pumps blood throughout the entire body via systemic arteries. Deoxygenated blood returns to the heart via systemic veins and fills the right atrium, which transfers blood into the right ventricle. Right ventricular contraction pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs via the pulmonary arteries. Specialized valves facilitate unidirectional blood flow through the heart. Atrioventricular (AV) valves allow blood to flow from the atria to the ventricles, and semilunar (SL) valves allow blood to flow from the ventricles into the arteries. In this scenario, a patient exhibits reduced pulmonary blood flow and excess fluid accumulation in the abdomen and legs. These symptoms are best explained by reduced blood flow through the heart valve separating the right atrium and ventricle. This condition would decrease the volume of blood loaded into the right ventricle prior to contraction, reducing blood flow from the right ventricle into the pulmonary arteries. In addition, the reduced volume of blood flowing into the right ventricle and through the pulmonary circuit would cause a backup of blood in the right atrium and systemic vessels. Accordingly, blood volume and hydrostatic pressure in systemic veins would increase, causing excess fluid leakage from systemic vessels into the surrounding interstitial fluid and subsequent fluid accumulation (edema) around tissues. (Choice B) Partial blockage of the valve separating the left ventricle and aorta would likely decrease blood flow through systemic (not pulmonary) vessels. (Choice C) An increased volume of blood pumped from the right ventricle would lead to increased (not decreased) blood flow through pulmonary vessels. (Choice D) Backflow of blood from the left ventricle to the left atrium would cause blood to back up into pulmonary vessels. This would increase the volume of blood and hydrostatic pressure in pulmonary vessels, likely causing excess fluid leakage from vessels of the pulmonary (not systemic) circuit. Educational objective: Deoxygenated blood returning to the heart fills the right atrium, which transfers blood to the right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs via the pulmonary circuit.

A Patient Is Found to Have Reduced Blood Flow Through