Peripheral Vascular & Peripheral Circulation Disorders Flashcards
A patient has been diagnosed with peripheral arterial occlusive disease. Which of the following instructions is appropriate for the nurse to give the patient for promoting circulation to the extremities?
a.) Massage the calf muscle if pain occurs.
b.) Keep the extremities slightly elevated.
c.) Participate in a regular walking program.
d.) Use a heating pad to promote warmth.
c.) Participate in a regular walking program
The nurse is assessing a patient for hypertension. Which symptom indicates to the nurse that the patient is experiencing an aortic dissection?
a.) Gradual onset of a frontal headache.
b.) Numbness and pain in the left arm
c.) A ripping sensation in the chest
d.) Pain when flexing the neck forward
c.) A ripping sensation in the chest
A post-operative patient is receiving heparin after developing thrombophlebitis. The nurse monitors the patient carefully for bleeding & other adverse effects of heparin. If the patient starts to exhibit signs of excessive bleeding, the nurse should expect to administer an atidote that is specific to heparin. Which agent fits this description?
a.) Phytonadione (vitamin K)
b.) Protamine sulfate
c.) Plasma protein fraction
d.) Thrombin
b.) Protamine sulfate
Which of the following is a diagnostic test that involves injection of a constrast meadia into the venous system through a dorsal vein in the foot?
a.) Air plethysmography
b.) Lymphangiography
c.) Lymphoscintigraphy
d.) Contrast phlebography
d.) Contrast phlebography
A nurse & physician are preparing to visit a hospitalized patient with peripheral arterial disease. As you approach the patient’s room, the physician asks if the patient has reported any intermittent claudication. The patient has reported this symptom. What should the nurse explains to the physician?
a.) The patient’s legs awaken him during the night with itching.
b.) The patient’s fingers tingle when left in one position for too long.
c.) The patient experiences shortness of breath after walking about 50 feet.
d.) The patient can walk about 50 feet before getting pain in the right lower leg.
d.) The patient can walk about 50 feet before getting pain in the right lower leg.
Intermittent Claudication: pain in extremities (usually the leg) that starts when you’re active and stops when you rest.
A home health nurse is seeing an elderly male patient for the first time. During the physical assessment of the skin on the lower legs, the nurse notes edema, brown pigmentation in the gaiter area, pedal pulses, & a few irregularly shaped ulcers around the ankles. From these findings, the nurse knows that the patient has a problem with peripheral circulation. Which of the following does the nurse suspect?
a.) Arterial insufficiency
b.) Neither venous nor arterial insufficency
c.) Trauma
d.) Venous insufficiency
d.) Venous insufficiency
Gaiter Area = around the lower part of the leg (like a sock)
Which of the following is the most common site for a dissecting aneurysm?
a.) Lumbar area
b.) Cervical area
c.) Thoracic area
d.) Sacral area
c.) Thoracic Area
The nurse is assessing a patient with suspected acute venous insuffiency. What clinical manifestations would indicate this condition to the nurse? (Select all that apply)
a.) Full supervicial veins
b.) Sharp pain that may be relieved by the eleveation of the extremity
c.) Brisk capillary refill of the toes
d.) Initial absence of edema
e.) Cool & cyanotic skin
a.) Full superficial veins
b.) Sharp pain that may be relieved by elevating the extremities
e.) Cool & cyanotic skin
A nurse is providing education about maintaining tissue integrity to a patient with peripheral arterial disease. Which of the following statements by the patient indicates the need for clarification?
a.) “I can use lamb’s wool between my toes if necessary.”
b.) “It is important to apply sunscreen to the top of my feet when I am wearing sandals.”
c.) “Shoes made of synthetic material are best for my feet.”
d.) “I should apply powder daily because my feet perspire.”
c.) “Shoes made of synthetic material are best for my feet”
You are presenting a workshop at the senior citizens center about how the changes of aging predisposes patients to vascular occlusive disorders. What would you name as the most common cause of peripheral arterial problems in older adults?
a.) Aneurysm
b.) Atherosclerosis
c.) Coronary thrombosis
d.) Raynaud’s disease
b.) Atherosclerosis
Hallmark sign / symptom of peripheral venous disorder
KNOW THIS
“Brown sock” / brown pigmentation around the gaiter area (lower leg)
- RBCs aren’t breaking down & going back to the heart
Hallmark signs / symptoms of peripheral arterial disease
KNOW THIS!!!
red when walking; cold & pale when at rest
Signs & Symptoms of Vascular Disorders; including the differences between the hallmark S/S of venous & arterial disorders
KNOW THIS!!!
Venous = “brown sock” (brown pigmentation in gaiter area (lower leg))
Arterial = red when walking; cold & pale when at rest
Other Signs & Symptoms
* Intermittent claudication (pain w/ activity, gone @ rest)
* Rest pain
* Shiny skin, hair loss, scaly & dry legs
* Cool, pale skin
* Weak pulses
Categorize the following risk factors for Arterial Disease as modifiable and non-modifiable:
- Age
- C-reactive protein
- Diabetes
- Diet
- Familial predisposition
- Female gender
- Gender
- Hypertension
- Nicotine
- Obesity
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Stress
KNOW THIS!!!
Modifiable:
* C-reactive protein
* Diabetes
* Diet
* Hypertension
* Nicotine
* Obesity
* Sedentary lifestyle
* Stress
Non-Modifiable Risk Factors
* Age
* Female gender
* Familial predisposition
* Genetics
