Which pulmonary artery catheter values are consistent with "warm and wet" acute decompensated heart failure?

In the context of acute decompensated heart failure, the classification of patients as "warm and wet" refers to those who present with evidence of volume overload along with adequate or elevated cardiac output.

The pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) is a measure of left atrial pressure and reflects fluid status, while cardiac index (CI) assesses the efficiency of the heart in pumping blood relative to a person's body surface area, indicating cardiac output adjusted for body size.

The correct values associated with "warm and wet" acute decompensated heart failure would typically show a PCWP that indicates congestion, along with a cardiac index suggesting sufficient blood flow.

A PCWP of 24 mm Hg shows significant elevation, indicating that the heart's ability to handle volume has been impaired, consistent with volume overload. The CI of 2.6 L/min/m² suggests that cardiac output is relatively preserved or even above normal for many patients. These values align with the profile expected in a "warm and wet" scenario where the patient is experiencing congestion due to heart failure but is still able to maintain adequate perfusion.

In contrast, other choices exhibit either lower PCWP values that indicate less congestion (which do not match the "wet" aspect