Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 71%
Simulated
A nurse is caring for a client in heart failure (HF). Which is the underlying pathophysiology of the myocardial fiber condition?
Correct answer
D
Rationale
Heart failure is fundamentally a decrease in the heart's pumping ability (reduced cardiac output). This stems from impaired myocardial contractility, leading to decreased stroke volume and ejection fraction. Option A is incorrect (tension may increase compensatorily), misattributes to SNS (which increases contractility), contradicts HF (less shortening).