Peripheral Vascular Disease Flashcards
In relation to the blockage where will pain be felt?
Distal
A patient comes into the GP with calf pain whilst playing golf, it is usually around the 5th hole but now nearer the 4th it is relieved when she stops. What is the diagnosis?
intermittent claudication
Describe intermittent claudication
muscle ischaemia on exercise, usually comes on at a steady distance & relieved at rest
Describe the progression of intermittent claudication
As symptoms worsen so does the blood supply until continuous pain at rest occurs leading to tissue loss
How can intermittent claudication be assessed?
Ankle brachial pressure index
What values indicate claudication from the ABPI?
Normal 0.9 -1.2
Claudication 0.4 - 0.85
Severe 0 - 0.4
What is a duplex ultrasound?
combination of doppler - looks at flow and ultrasound - sees a 3D image
Name three invasive tests for arterial disease
- Magnetic resonance angiography
- CT
- Catheter angiography
How can arterial disease be slowed down?
stop smoking lipid lowering anti platelet (aspirin & clopidogrel) hypertension treatment diabetes treatment lifestyle
What can be offered for intermittent claudication?
Supervised exercise programmes the more you walk the better it will be, however this only treats symptoms
What treatment is available for arterial disease?
- Angioplasty with batons & stents
- Bypass
Name three things required to complete bypass surgery
- inflow
- outflow
- graft
Why is it better to use a patients own vein as opposed to a prosthetic one?
Microorganisms love prosthetic veins whereas a patients own veins are resistant to infection
How can critical limb ischaemia be described?
Toe/foot pain usually at night when flat in bed, then progresses to all the time
What can critical limb ischaemia lead to?
Ulcers & gangrene as a result of minor trauma
State five clinical features of critical limb ischaemia
- cold
- absence of pulses
- poor tissue nutrition
- venous guttering
- ulcers/gangrene
What is venous guttering?
When you lift the leg up the vein will empty rapidly
If an artery cannot be treated what is required?
Amputation
What does amputation depend on?
Damage to leg & blood supply
Name the structure that connects the deep venous system to the superficial system
Perforators
What is required in order to get blood out of the legs?
- Vessel
- Valves (one-way system)
- Pump (muscles)
Define varicose vein
dilated, tortuous superficial elongated vein due to abnormal transmission of deep vein pressure
What are the two types of varicose vein?
Primary - occurs out of the blue
Secondary - due to DVT
Name risk factors for Varicose veins
- Age (old)
- Gender (female)
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- Family history
State five clinical features of Varicose Veins
- bleeding
- thrombophlebitis
- venous hypertension
- lipodermatosclerosis
- ulceration