Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse (CCTN) Practice Exam 2025 - Free CCTN Practice Questions and Study Guide

Pulmonary edema is indeed a condition caused by increased pressure in the blood vessels, particularly in the pulmonary circulation. When there is an elevation in pressure in the pulmonary capillaries, excess fluid can leak from the capillaries into the alveoli of the lungs. This accumulation of fluid impairs gas exchange and can lead to symptoms such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, and coughing up frothy sputum. Conditions that contribute to elevated pulmonary blood vessel pressure include heart failure, where the left side of the heart is unable to effectively pump blood, leading to fluid buildup.

Consolidation refers to the process by which lung tissue becomes firm and solid due to the accumulation of fluid, cells, or other substances in alveoli, often seen in pneumonia, and is not primarily caused by increased blood vessel pressure. Atrial flutter is an arrhythmia characterized by abnormal heart rhythms, usually not directly linked to increased blood pressure in vessels. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that causes breathing difficulties, often due to airflow obstruction, but it is not specifically a condition that results from increased pressure in blood vessels.

Thus, pulmonary edema, as a result of elevated pressure in the pulmonary vascular system, fits the criteria