What condition might a nursing assessment reveal if a patient has swollen extremities?

Swollen extremities often indicate fluid retention or edema, which can be closely associated with conditions like heart failure or venous insufficiency. In heart failure, the heart's ability to pump blood effectively is compromised, leading to a backlog of blood in the veins. This results in increased pressure within the venous system, causing fluid to leak into the surrounding tissues, particularly in the lower extremities.

Venous insufficiency also leads to similar symptoms; when the veins in the legs are unable to return blood effectively to the heart, blood can pool, resulting in swelling. Both of these conditions are characterized by fluid accumulation, which is a primary cause of edema in the extremities.

In contrast, while diabetes can lead to various complications, such as neuropathy or peripheral artery disease, it is not primarily characterized by swollen extremities without other specific symptoms. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mostly affects breathing and may lead to other systemic complications, but it typically does not cause swollen limbs directly. Anemia mainly affects the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity and does not typically present with edema in the extremities. Thus, the presence of swollen extremities is most directly linked to heart failure or venous insufficiency.