Left ventricular failure is said to be present if pulmonary capillary wedge pressure exceeds:September 2009

Ans. D: 20 mm HgAcute pulmonary edema is defined as the sudden increase in pulmonary capillary pressure (usually more than 20 mm Hg) as a result of acute and fulminant left ventricular failure.Patient appears extremely ill, poorly perfused, restless, sweaty, with an increased work of breathing and using respiratory accessory muscles, tachypneic, tachycardic, hypoxic and coughing with frothy sputum that on occasion is blood tinged. Patients with noncardiogenic pulmonary edema have a warm periphery, a bounding pulse, and an absence of S-3 gallop and jugular venous distention.Differentiation is often made based on PCWP measurements from invasive hemodynamic monitoring.PCWP is generally more than 20 mm Hg in HF and is less than 20 mm Hg in noncardiogenic pulmonary edema.