A patient with left ventricular failure would likely show what kind of PA pressure?

In left ventricular failure, the heart's ability to effectively pump blood is compromised. This failure causes a backup of blood in the left atrium, which consequently leads to increased pressure within the pulmonary circulation. The elevated left atrial pressure transmits backward into the pulmonary arteries, resulting in increased pulmonary artery (PA) pressures.

This phenomenon can contribute to symptoms such as pulmonary congestion and edema, as the rise in pressure in the PA can cause fluid to leak into the lung interstitium and alveoli. Thus, when assessing a patient with left ventricular failure, an increased pulmonary artery pressure is a key finding indicative of the condition's impact on the cardiovascular system.

In contrast, decreased, normal, or fluctuating PA pressures would not align with the expected physiological changes associated with left ventricular failure, making them less appropriate answers in this context.