Peripheral Vascular Flashcards
What should be inspected in the peripheral vascular system examination?
The entire limb should be inspected and compared bilaterally.
What do brittle nails indicate during a peripheral vascular examination?
Brittle nails indicate ischemia.
What does clubbing of nails indicate?
Clubbing may indicate chronic hypoxia.
What does pale skin colour indicate?
Pale skin may indicate arterial obstruction.
What does redness of the skin indicate?
Redness may indicate infection or inflammation.
What does thinned, shiny skin indicate?
Thinned, shiny skin may indicate chronic ischemia.
What does poor wound healing indicate?
Poor wound healing may indicate chronic ischemia.
What does an enlarged limb indicate?
An enlarged limb may be due to edema caused by inflammation.
What does reduced limb circumference indicate?
Reduced limb circumference may be due to muscle atrophy caused by chronic ischemia.
What do abdominal pulsations indicate?
Pulsations may indicate an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
What does the presence of bruits indicate?
The presence of bruits indicates arterial obstruction.
Which arteries should be auscultated for bruits?
Abdominal aorta, renal arteries, iliac arteries, and femoral arteries.
Which pulses should be palpated?
Radial, brachial, femoral, popliteal, dorsalis pedis, and posterior tibial.
What should be assessed when palpating pulses?
Rate, rhythm, strength, contour, volume, and presence of thrills.
What is the normal diameter of the abdominal aorta?
The diameter of the abdominal aorta should be less than 3 cm.
What does coolness of the skin indicate?
Coolness may indicate poor arterial flow.
What does excessive warmth of the skin indicate?
Excessive warmth may indicate inflammation.
What does pitting edema indicate?
Pitting edema may indicate heart failure or renal failure.
What does slowed return in nail bed compression indicate?
Slowed return may indicate reduced arterial pressure in peripheries due to vascular obstruction or heart failure.
What does the Allen test assess?
Slowed or absent return of colour may indicate vascular obstruction in the radial or ulnar arteries.
What does swelling in the limb indicate during palpation?
Swelling may indicate the presence of DVT.
What are the signs of acute venous insufficiency of the lower limbs?
Edema at ulcers, leg pain, tenderness, warmth, clinical symptoms of PE, and darker skin.
What are the signs of chronic venous insufficiency?
Pitting edema, skin atrophy, venous ulcers, reddish-brown hyperpigmentation, limb discomfort, restless legs, limb fatigue, cramping, itching/burning sensations, throbbing, and dilated venous capillaries.
What should be assessed when palpating lymph nodes?
Size, site, border, shape, consistency, tenderness, mobility, and overlying skin changes.
What are some conditions of the peripheral vascular system?
Chronic arterial insufficiency, acute arterial insufficiency, acute venous insufficiency, chronic venous insufficiency, and normal, infected, and cancerous lymph nodes.
What should be observed in the skin during examination?
Colour, venous pattern/filling, and poor wound healing.
