If the right ventricle pumps inefficiently, blood backs up in the venous system that feeds into the heart. This describes which condition?

• A. Left-sided congestive heart failure
• B. Right-sided congestive heart failure
• C. Pulmonary embolism
• D. Myocardial infarction

Answer: (B)

When the right ventricle can’t pump effectively, blood backs up into the systemic venous circulation that returns to the heart. That backward pressure causes venous congestion throughout the body—think of signs like jugular venous distention, liver congestion (hepatomegaly), abdominal fluid buildup (ascites), and swelling in the legs. This pattern is the hallmark of right-sided congestive heart failure. Left-sided failure, by contrast, backs up toward the lungs and leads to pulmonary edema. A pulmonary embolism is a blockage in the pulmonary arteries, not a simple backward flow from the right heart, and a myocardial infarction is tissue damage from ischemia, though it can lead to heart failure if severe.