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Peripheral Vascular Disease

Adult Nursing NCLEX Review The Cardiovascular System Peripheral Vascular Disease

Peripheral Artery Disease

Pain

Sharp, intermittent claudication. You walk and pain occurs, you stop and pain goes away

Pulse

Pulse is decreased or absent. Remember there is no or ↓ arterial blood flow

Edema

No edema due to no or decreased blood flow

Temp & Color

Extremity is Pale, HAIRLESS, and skin is thin due to ↓ blood flow.

Position

Dangle legs to ↑ blood flow. Let gravity do its thing

Treatment

No smoking, aspirin, vasodilators, good skin care, avoid tight shoes & surgery such as femoral-popliteal bypass.

Peripheral Venous Disease

Pain

Dull and constant

Pulse

Pulse is present but hard to fill due to edema. Remember that pulse is arterial flow not venous

Edema

Yes! Edema occurs since blood pools or there is venous stasis

Temp & Color

Temp: Warm. Color: Ruddy, brownish, & yellowish

Position

Elevate legs to increase venous return and wear elastic stockings

Treatment

Elastic stockings, elevate legs, daily walking, AVOID standing for prolonged periods of time, and weight management

Drag the characteristic of the right to the appropriate box on the left. It is a characteristic of PAD or PVD?

The ankle-brachial index test compares the blood pressure measured at the ankle with the blood pressure measured at the arm. A low ankle-brachial index number can indicate narrowing or blockage of the arteries in the legs.
Normal cut-off values for ABI are between 0.9 and 1.4. An abnormal ankle-brachial index- below 0.9-is a powerful independent marker of cardiovascular risk.
Look at the picture below and notice that the ankle pressure goes on the numerator (top) and the arm pressure on the denominator (bottom)
Good foot care: lanolin/petrolium jelly to intact skin, lose weight, assess daily, use electric razors to shave to prevent wounds.
For peripheral vascular disease, especial peripheral arterial disease, think in terms of cardiovascular disease: Smoking, ↑ cholesterol and diabetes.

Raynaud's

What is the best medication for Raynaud’s? Calcium channel blockers are the class of drugs most widely used for treatment of Raynaud syndrome—especially the dihydropyridines (eg, nifedipine, nicardipine), which are the most potent vasodilators. Nifedipine is the customary first choice

Buerger's Disease

Buerger’s disease (also known as thromboangiitis obliterans) affects blood vessels in the body, most commonly in the arms and legs. Blood vessels swell, which can prevent blood flow, causing clots to form. Client experience intermittent claudication or pain with walking. This can lead to pain, tissue damage, and even gangrene (dead tissue). Risk factors: smoking, males, elderly, ↑ cholesterol, ↑ coagulation state, ↑ triglycerides, and diabetes. Treatment vasodilators, avoid fatty foods, and amputations if gangrene is present.

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