Which condition can cause low cardiac output in post-surgical patients due to right ventricular failure?

Low cardiac output in post-surgical patients can indeed result from a variety of conditions that impact the heart's ability to function effectively. Each of the conditions mentioned contributes to an increased risk for right ventricular failure, which can lead to insufficient cardiac output.

Preexisting mitral stenosis can lead to pressure overload in the right side of the heart by causing pulmonary congestion. This increases the workload of the right ventricle and can predispose the patient to right ventricular failure post-surgery, especially during times of stress such as surgery.

Preexisting pulmonary hypertension puts additional strain on the right ventricle, making it more difficult for this chamber to pump blood effectively. If the right ventricle is already compromised due to high pressures before surgery, the stress of surgery can exacerbate this condition and lead to right ventricular failure, resulting in low cardiac output.

Preoperative or intraoperative right ventricular infarction, or damage to the heart muscle specifically in the right ventricle, directly affects the heart's ability to pump effectively. This can significantly compromise cardiac output and is a direct cause of right ventricular failure.

Taken together, all these conditions can cause low cardiac output through different mechanisms related to right ventricular function, making the stance that all of the listed factors contribute to