Which finding best demonstrates a widened pulse pressure due to aortic regurgitation?

• A. Narrow pulse pressure with elevated diastolic pressure.
• B. Wide pulse pressure with normal diastolic.
• C. Large difference between systolic and diastolic pressures due to regurgitant flow causing diastolic drop and systolic rise.
• D. No change in pulse pressure.

Answer: (C)

Widened pulse pressure occurs when the diastolic pressure drops while systolic pressure may rise, producing a larger gap between the two numbers. In aortic regurgitation, blood leaks backward from the aorta into the left ventricle during diastole (diastolic runoff), which lowers the aortic diastolic pressure. To maintain effective forward output, the heart often ejects a larger volume of blood during systole, which can raise the systolic pressure. The combination of a lower diastolic pressure and a higher systolic pressure creates a large difference between them, i.e., a widened pulse pressure. Other statements that imply normal diastolic pressure or no change don’t reflect the diastolic runoff characteristic of regurgitation.