The nurse is caring for a client after a coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The client is exhibiting pitting edema of the lower extremities and jugular venous distention with increased central venous pressure. Which condition should the nurse suspect the client is experiencing based on these findings?
Explanation & Rationale
A. Internal bleeding may present with symptoms such as hypotension, tachycardia, and signs of blood loss, but it typically does not cause pitting edema or jugular venous distention. B. Right-sided heart failure can cause systemic venous congestion, leading to pitting edema of the lower extremities and jugular venous distention due to increased central venous pressure. C. Cardiac tamponade presents with Beck's triad (hypotension, distended neck veins, muffled heart sounds) and is typically more acute in onset compared to the gradual development of symptoms seen in right-sided heart failure. D. Left ventricular dysfunction primarily causes symptoms of pulmonary congestion, such as dyspnea, orthopnea, and crackles, rather than pitting edema and jugular venous distention.