A patient with left ventricular failure is admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU). When monitoring for the effectiveness of treatment, the most important information for the nurse to obtain is

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) reflects left ventricular end diastolic pressure (or left ventricular preload). Because the patient in left ventricular failure will have a high PAWP, a decrease in this value will be the best indicator of patient improvement. The other values would also provide useful information, but the most definitive measurement of improvement is a drop in PAWP.

A Patient with Left Ventricular Failure Is Admitted to the Coronary