A patient experiences increasing shortness of breath, normal blood pressure, and pulmonary congestion. What causes this effect when cardiac output falls despite elevated sympathetic activity?

💡 Explanation

Elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) explains pulmonary congestion, because reduced cardiac output causes blood to back up into the left ventricle. Therefore, LVEDP increases, rather than peripheral venous compliance changing or vascular resistance decreasing, directly impacting pulmonary pressure.

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