Care Flight Entrance Practice Exam 2026 - Free Air Ambulance Entrance Practice Questions and Study Guide

Mitral stenosis narrows the valve opening between the left atrium and the left ventricle, especially during diastole. This creates a backup of pressure into the left atrium and then into the pulmonary veins, causing pulmonary congestion and edema. The resulting impaired gas exchange and increased work of breathing lead to shortness of breath, or dyspnea, which is a common and early symptom in mitral stenosis—often occurring with exertion and can worsen when lying flat (orthopnea). Chest pain is not typical for mitral stenosis, while pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure can develop as downstream complications over time; they’re more about disease progression than the hallmark presenting symptom.