Progressive Care Nursing Certification (PCCN) Practice Exam

Which of the following physiologic changes does not occur with pulmonary emboli?

1. Pulmonary hypertension

2. Arterial hypoxemia

3. Hypocarbia

4. Left ventricular failure

The correct answer is: Left ventricular failure

Left ventricular failure typically does not occur directly as a result of a pulmonary embolism. Instead, pulmonary embolism primarily affects the right heart, leading to right ventricular strain or failure due to increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries. The other physiologic changes associated with pulmonary emboli include pulmonary hypertension, which results from obstruction of blood flow through the pulmonary arteries, leading to increased pressure. Arterial hypoxemia occurs due to impaired gas exchange caused by the obstruction, preventing adequate oxygenation of the blood. Hypocarbia, or decreased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, can result from hyperventilation as a compensatory response to hypoxemia. Thus, while pulmonary emboli can lead to a variety of physiological responses primarily affecting the right heart and systemic oxygenation, left ventricular failure is not a direct consequence of a pulmonary embolism, making it the correct answer in this scenario.