Which condition shows dependent edema and worsens when the patient is supine?

• A. CHF
• B. COPD
• C. Emphysema
• D. Chronic Bronchitis

Answer: (A)

Dependant edema with worsening when lying flat points to congestive heart failure causing systemic venous congestion. In heart failure, the heart’s reduced pumping raises venous pressures, pushing fluid from the capillaries into interstitial tissues—most noticeable in gravity-dependent areas like the legs. When the patient becomes supine, more blood returns to the central circulation, increasing venous and capillary pressures further and often making edema worse. This pattern contrasts with the other choices, which are primarily pulmonary diseases that don’t characteristically produce posture-dependent peripheral edema.