Ace the EMT Challenge 2024 – Elevate Your Emergency Skills!

A pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery in the lungs, reducing blood flow to that area. This leads to decreased oxygen levels in the blood, causing strain on the right side of the heart as it tries to pump harder to compensate for the reduced blood flow. As a result, right-sided heart failure can occur. This is different from left-sided heart failure, which is caused by damage to the left side of the heart and is not directly related to pulmonary embolism. Biventricular failure refers to both sides of the heart being affected, and coronary artery disease is a condition in which the arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked, potentially leading to heart failure. Therefore, out of the options given, the only correct answer is B Right-sided heart failure.