Which cardiac condition results from the heart's inability to pump effectively, causing fluid back-up?

• A. Myocardial infarction
• B. Congestive heart failure
• C. Pericarditis
• D. Atrial fibrillation

Answer: (B)

When the heart can’t pump effectively, pressure backs up in the venous system and fluids start to accumulate in tissues and air spaces. That buildup of fluid is what people mean by congestive heart failure—the heart’s reduced pumping ability leads to fluid congestion in the body. If the left side struggles, fluid can spill into the lungs, causing shortness of breath and crackles; if the right side is involved, you see swelling in the legs, abdomen, and other tissues. The term “congestive” reflects this fluid backup.

The other conditions don’t fit this pattern as the defining feature. A myocardial infarction is a heart attack due to blocked blood flow causing muscle death; it’s about injury to the heart muscle rather than the chronic backup of fluids. Pericarditis is inflammation of the lining around the heart and may cause chest pain or a constraint on heart movement, not primarily fluid buildup. Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart rhythm that can reduce pumping efficiency, but the question describes the fluid congestion that defines congestive heart failure.