What is a common clinical sign of pulmonary edema?

• A. Fever
• B. Productive cough
• C. Jugular distention
• D. Pain upon inspiration

Answer: (C)

Pulmonary edema from heart failure raises venous pressures and causes fluid to back up in the lungs. Jugular venous distention reflects this increased central venous pressure and overall venous congestion, making it a common and telling sign in this condition. Fever is more typical of infection, a productive cough can occur with other processes but isn’t specific for edema, and pain with inspiration points to pleuritic chest pain rather than fluid overload. So the presence of distended neck veins best signals the cardiogenic origin of the edema and helps distinguish it from other causes of dyspnea.