Musculoskeletal Medicine

Question 1

symptoms of acute limb ischaemia

Answer 1

Patients with acute limb ischaemia classically present with the 6Ps - pain, pulseless, pallor, paralysis, paraesthesia and perishing cold.

Question 2

what causes acute limb ischaemia

Answer 2

Acute limb ischaemia, an acute presentation of PAD, is a sudden decrease in limb perfusion, typically due to rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque, resulting in decreased perfusion and symptoms and signs that develop over two weeks or less.

Question 3

what is critical limb ischaemia and px

Answer 3

Patients with critical limb ischaemia, a subacute presentation of PAD, typically present with chronic rest pain, which may worsen at night. This leads to them hanging their leg out of bed or sleeping in a chair to relieve the symptoms; this key symptom indicates a limb-threatening arterial occlusion. Additionally, on examination, patients with critical limb ischaemia have atrophic skin changes, absent foot pulses and pallor.