B3 L40: Vascular Surgery Flashcards
What is peripheral vascular disease (PVD)?
Obstruction of the large arteries that supply blood to the peripheries (outside of the heart and brain). PVD ranges from asymptomatic disease through to limb threatening reduced blood supply.
What is the prevalence of PVD of people over the age of 55?
10-25% of people
Does the risk of PVD increase/decrease with age? Or is it unaffected?
Increases with age
PVD is more prevalent is ___(men/women).
Men
70-80% of people with PVD are _____.
asymptomatic- this means it is highly underdiagnosed
About half of patients with PVD have symptomatic ____ or _____ vascular disease. This means it doesn’t happen in isolation
coronary; cerebral
What are the 11 causes of PVD?
- Atherosclerosis
- Thromboembolism
- Aneurysm
- Inflammatory processes
- Smoking
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Dyslipidemia (high cholesterol)
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- Stroke/CV disease
- Family history of vascular disease
What is atherosclerosis?
Thickening of the artery wall as a result of the accumulation of calcium and fatty materials (cholesterol)
What does the thickening of the artery wall in atherosclerosis lead to?
Leads to reduced elasticity of the artery walls – allows less blood to travel through and increases blood pressure
What happens when plaque is deposited in the artery in atherosclerosis?
Plaque deposits can expand and cause blockage of the artery or lead to a thrombus formation, or can break away as an embolus and occlude smaller downstream branches
What is an aneurysm?
Localised blood filled balloon-like bulge (weakness) in the wall of a blood vessel (leading to a possible rupture) – Can be the starting point for a thrombus
What is the problem with an aneurysm?
Can lead to a possible rupture
How do inflammatory processes cause PVD?
leading to stenosis through swelling of the arterial wall
Why is smoking such a high risk factor and cause of PVD?
Smoking causes changes in and damage to the endothelial lining of blood vessels (which are permanent and irreversible), which leads to atherosclerosis
Is smoking a high risk factor/cause for PVD?
Over 80% of patients with PVD are current or exsmokers
Smoking results in earlier onset of symptoms and the severity of PVD _____ (increases/decreases) with the number of cigarettes smoked and number of _____.
increases; years
Why is Diabetes Mellitus a risk factor/cause of PVD?
2-4 times increased risk of PVD by causing endothelial and smooth muscle cell dysfunction (damage) in peripheral arteries
______ account for up to 70% of non-traumatic amputations performed
Diabetics
A known diabetic who smokes runs an approximately 30% risk of ______ within 5 years
amputation
What does diabetes cause (neurally)?
Peripheral neuropathy
What a characteristic of peripheral neuropathy?
lack of sensation to feet
(eg. won’t feel injuries –> infection and lack of healing –> possible amputation)
What is Dyslipidemia?
high cholesterol levels
What do people have with chronic PVD?
long standing symptoms
What is claudication?
pain with walking -not getting enough blood to muscles that help with walking
What are 4 symptoms of patients with chronic PVD?
- Pain with walking secondary to decreased circulation
- Relief occurs after ceasing activity (muscles no longer need the increased blood flow)
- Cramping, aching, fatigue, numbness
- May involve one or more of the buttock, thigh or calf muscles, depending on location of obstruction
Why do some patients with chronic PVD not complain of claudication?
If activity limited by comorbidities
What is a progression of chronic PVD with claudication?
Ongoing, constant pain at rest
What does constant pain at rest represent in a patient with chronic PVD?
A significant reduction in circulation and usually involves the most distal aspect of the lower extremity
Patients will chronic PVD with constant pain at rest will report a relief in symptoms with _______. Give an example
dependency (gravity facilitates circulation)
Patients will chronic PVD with constant pain at rest will report aggravating factors of?
elevation
Usually, the pain in patients with chronic PVD is quite _____(mild/severe) and ____ (will/will not) wake during the night (affect sleep).
severe; will
What is the classification of chronic PVD? How many categories?
Category 0: Asymptomatic
Category 1: Mild claudication
Category 2: Moderate claudication
Category 3: Severe claudication
Category 4: Rest pain
Category 5: Minor tissue loss; Ischemic ulceration not exceeding ulcer of the digits of the foot
Category 6: Major tissue loss; Severe ischemic ulcers or frank gangrene
What is category 0 for chronic PVD?
Asymptomatic
What is category 1 for chronic PVD?
Mild claudication
What is category 2 for chronic PVD?
Moderate claudication
What is category 3 for chronic PVD?
Severe claudication
What is category 4 for chronic PVD?
Rest pain
What is category 5 for chronic PVD?
Minor tissue loss; Ischemic ulceration not exceeding ulcer of the digits of the foot
What is category 6 for chronic PVD?
Major tissue loss; Severe ischemic ulcers or frank gangrene
What are 6 characteristics of PVD?
- Atrophy of calf muscle (vicious cycle- no walking as much due to pain –> makes it worse)
- Loss of hair growth over lower leg and foot
- Thickening of nails (need podiatrist to cut)
- Decreased subcutaneous tissue
- Shiny fragile skin
- Dependent rubor
What are 4 ways to diagnose PVD?
- Ankle-Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI/ABI)
- Exercise testing
- Lower limb Doppler ultrasound
- Angiography/CT/MRI
How is the Ankle-Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI/ABI) used to diagnose PVD?
When the blood pressure readings in the ankles are lower than that in the arms, it would be suspected that there are blockages in the arteries delivering blood from the heart to the ankle
- Normal ABI range is 1.00 to 1.40.
- PVD = ABI ≤ 0.90
How is exercise used to diagnoses PVD?
Walking or treadmill test –> pain
What is 6 conservative management techniques for PVD?
Done by management of lifestyle
- Smoking cessation
- Diabetic management (control sugar levels)
- Management of HTN (hypertension- reduce stress)
- Management of cholesterol
- Antiplatelet therapy
- Exercise
Supervised exercise programs have been recommended as first-line therapies for the treatment of ____ in patients with PVD
claudication
In particular, walking to near _______has been found to improve ______, theorised to be due to the development of the _______.
maximal pain; intermittent claudication; collateral blood supply
What are the 3 main aims of exercise programs for people with PVD?
- to reduce limb symptoms (pain)
- to improve exercise capacity and prevent or lessen physical disability (more fit; more blood to the legs)
- to reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular events
At PAH, our Vascular Rehabilitation is a ____ week program consisting of _____ hour exercise sessions once per week run by a Registered Nurse and Physiotherapist • Warm up, exercise station circuit, cool down • Treadmill, Stationary bike, Recumbent bike, Rowing machine, Step-ups, Hand weights, Arm windjammer. What is the most important exercise in this program?
12; 1 Treadmill (claudication)
With vascular rehabilitation at the PAH, what is the main outcome measure?
Progressing Treadmill Test (goes through stages of walking speed and incline of treadmill will increase)
Patients are encouraged to walk to______ out of 10 pain before stopping. In this study, what are the 2 things that are recorded
6-7
- Records the Claudication Pain Time (CPT)
- Maximum Walking Time (MWT)
The PVD patient has Fortnightly Education Sessions using the _____ approach
MDT
What things is the vascular registered nurse in charge of for a PVD patient?
Peripheral Arterial Disease, Causes Symptoms and Treatment
What things is the physiotherapist in charge of for a PVD patient?
PAD and Exercise Therapy
What things is the HTN CNC in charge of for a PVD patient?
Hypertension Management
What things is the dietician in charge of for a PVD patient?
Healthy Eating/Cholesterol Control
What things is the pharmacist in charge of for a PVD patient?
Vascular Medicines
When is surgical intervention used for a PVD patient?
When conservative management is not enough
Choice of surgery depends on the ____ of symptoms, associated ______, technical considerations and evidence-based outcomes
severity; comorbidities