Which sign is commonly observed in patients with right-sided heart failure?

• A. Labored breathing
• B. Dependent edema
• C. Pulmonary edema
• D. Flat jugular veins

Answer: (B)

Right-sided heart failure causes the right ventricle to struggle to move blood into the lungs, so pressure backs up into the systemic venous circulation. That elevated venous pressure drives fluid out of capillaries into dependent tissues, especially in the legs and feet when you’re upright. So dependent edema is the sign you’d most commonly expect with this condition.

Think of the other signs in relation to where fluid backs up: labored breathing and pulmonary edema come from fluid backing up into the lungs, which is more typical of left-sided failure. Flat jugular veins aren’t typical here because right-sided failure usually produces jugular venous distention (bulging neck veins) from increased central venous pressure.