RCIS Practice Test 2025 – All-in-One Exam Prep

The component of Pulmonary Capillary Wedge pressure that indicates mitral insufficiency is the V wave. In patients with mitral insufficiency, there is a backflow of blood into the left atrium during ventricular systole. This increased volume in the left atrium leads to a prominent V wave on the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure tracing. V waves represent the rapid filling of the left atrium and are indicative of elevated pressures due to volume overload, which aligns with the pathophysiology of mitral insufficiency.

The other components, such as the A and C waves, represent different phases of the cardiac cycle. The A wave corresponds to atrial contraction, while the C wave occurs with the closure of the mitral valve and the initial increase in pressure in the left atrium. Preload is a term that describes the initial stretching of the cardiac muscle fibers before contraction but does not specifically indicate a pathology like mitral insufficiency in this context. Therefore, the V wave is specifically significant for indicating increased pressures related to this condition.