If a patient's pulmonary capillaries develop significantly increased interstitial fluid pressure due to left ventricular heart failure, which consequence follows regarding gas exchange in the alveoli?

💡 Explanation

Elevated interstitial fluid increases the diffusion distance for oxygen across the alveolar-capillary membrane. Because Fick's law of diffusion dictates that diffusion rate is inversely proportional to distance, oxygen transfer declines acutely. Therefore, the oxygen diffusion capacity is reduced, rather than enhanced CO2 diffusion because CO2 is much more soluble.

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