Question

A patient has been newly diagnosed with right ventricular heart failure. The nurse practitioner may expect to find all of these findings except:

a. Crackles, bibasilar rales in lower lobes
b. Enlarged spleen
c. Jugular venous distention
d. Lower extremity edema

Answer 1

In right ventricular heart failure, one would expect to find jugular venous distention, lower extremity edema, and an enlarged spleen but not crackles or bibasilar rales in the lower lobes, which are indicative of left-sided heart failure.

Step-by-step explanation:

A newly diagnosed case of right ventricular heart failure would typically present with certain clinical manifestations resulting from the inability of the right ventricle to pump blood efficiently to the pulmonary circulation. Among the findings one might expect are symptoms such as jugular venous distention due to increased venous pressure, lower extremity edema resulting from fluid accumulation in the tissues, and an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly) due to congestion of the systemic circulation.

However, one would not expect to find crackles, or bibasilar rales in the lower lobes, which are more indicative of left-sided heart failure that leads to pulmonary edema and subsequent crackles heard in the lungs.