A 65-year-old man is admitted to the hospital with shortness of breath. The patient states that he has had to sleep in a recliner the last five nights.

A 65-year-old man is admitted to the hospital with shortness of breath. The patient states that he has had to sleep in a recliner the last five nights. On exam, there is a blowing, holosystolic murmur heard along the lower left sternal border. Five days after admission, the patient was discharged with a notable improvement in symptoms. At the time of admission, the v waves in the patient’s jugular venous pulsation was more prominent than at the time of discharge. What is the most likely explanation for this finding? Cardiac catheterization. Diuresis with removal of fluid. Intravenous fluid administration. Decrease in the patient’s blood pressure. Decrease in the patient’s heart rate.