venous ulcer and arterial ulcer

Question 1

Arterial ulcers

Answer 1

insufficient blood supply to the skin due to peripheral arterial disease.

Question 2

Venous ulcers

Answer 2

pooling of blood and waste products in the skin secondary to venous insufficiency.

Question 3

arterial ulcers features

Answer 3

toe/ dorsum of foot
pulselessness, pallor, intermittent claudication
small, deep, well defined painful ulcers with worse pain at night and on elevating leg

Question 4

venous ulcers

Answer 4

gaiter area
chronic skin changes
larger, more superficial bleed more
less painful
worse on lowering leg and better on elevation

Question 5

how to assess arterial / venous ulcers

Answer 5

ABPI –>
always measure as venous ulcers are treated with compression and that cant be done in arterial.

Question 6

at what level ABPI is compression bandaging considered ok

Answer 6

> 0.8

Question 7

mx of venous ulceration

Answer 7

compression bandaging
oral pentoxifylline

Question 8

mx of arterial ulcers

Answer 8

same as peripheral arterial disease with urgent referral to vascular and consideration of surgical revascularisation

Question 9

diff. b/w arterial and venous ulcer

Answer 9

venous = above medial malleolus