Final answer:
Fluid retention due to heart failure can lead to edema, causing swelling in the body's tissues. Pulmonary edema is a specific type of this condition that affects the lungs when the heart cannot pump blood effectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
Fluid retention, a manifestation of heart failure, may lead to edema. This is a condition characterized by an excess accumulation of fluid in the body's tissues, causing swelling. Heart failure often leads to fluid backup in the lungs (pulmonary edema) or systemic edema, where swelling can be observed over large areas of the body, especially the lower extremities. Hypervolemia, which is excessive fluid volume in the body, can occur due to conditions, such as heart failure, that compromise the heart's ability to pump blood effectively, thus disrupting the body's fluid balance and increasing blood pressure.
In pulmonary edema resulting from heart failure, the left ventricle is unable to pump sufficient blood into the systemic circulation, leading to backed-up fluids in the pulmonary capillaries and into lung tissues. This not only impacts the pulmonary system but also can lead to systemic effects. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is B) Edema, which is the direct outcome of the fluid retention associated with heart failure.