A patient diagnosed with chronic compensated heart failure reports that,"My feet swell if I eat salt but I don't understand why" The nurse's best response is
A) "Salt holds water in your blood and makes more pressure against your blood vessels, so fluid leaks out into your tissues and makes them swell."
B) "Gravity makes more pressure down by your feet than up at the top of your body, so more fluid leaks into your tissues at your feet and they swell."
C) "Salt makes your blood vessels relax and the blood does not flow as fast, so some of it leaks into your tissues and makes swelling."
D) "Salt binds to the proteins in your blood and changes the osmotic pressure so more fluid can leak out and stay in the tissues, causing swelling."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Salt holds water in the ECV,thus increasing capillary hydrostatic pressure.Gravity leads to feet swelling,but it does not explain what the patient is asking.Salt does not cause vasodilation,nor does it bind to blood proteins and change osmotic pressure.

A Patient Diagnosed with Chronic Compensated Heart Failure Reports That,"My