NR 304 Exam 1 Questions with 100% Correct
Answers
When assessing for peripheral vascular disease, what would you inspect?
Skin color, intactness, size, symmetry of extremities, any swelling/edema, hair growth and
distribution on arms and legs
When assessing for peripheral vascular disease, what would you palpate?
Palpate pulses (radial, brachial, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, and dorsal is pedis), lymph
nodes, skin temperature, and edema
What is the biggest risk factor of PAD?
Atherosclerosis
Other risk factors: tobacco, DM, uncontrolled HTN, hyperlipidemia, family hx, weight
What are the clinical manifestations of PAD?
Half of ppl with PAD have no symptoms, intermittent claudication, weak pulses, legs that
feel numb/weak/heavy, pain in specific areas at specific times, changes in skin color/temp,
hair loss, wounds that do not heal, dead tissue (gangrene), severe forms of PAD result in limb
threatening ischemia
What is acute peripheral arterial disease (or acute arterial ischemia)?
Sudden interruption in the arterial blood supply to a tissue, organ, or an extremity. If
untreated > tissue necrosis and gangrene
S+S: sudden onset, pain, pallor, pulselessness, parenthesia, poikilothermia (coldness),
paralysis > foot drop
Risks: recent arterial procedure (cardiac catheter), compartment syndrome, cast that is too
, tight, trauma/injury to arteries of legs
#1 Cause: Embolization of a thrombus
What is chronic peripheral arterial disease?
S+S: Chronic pain, gradual onset, cramping, numbness, tingling, cold, intermittent
claudication, six P's (pain, pallor, parenthesia, pulselessness, poikilothermia (coldness),
paralysis) but less severe than acute, smooth, well defined, dry ulcers on ankles/feet (toes or
lateral malleolus), hair loss, 1+ or absent pulse
Risk: older adults, smoking, HTN, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, vascular disease
What is treatment for peripheral artery disease?
Dangle legs
What is thromboangitis obliteratens (Buerger's dz)
Segmental recurrent inflammation in the small and medium arteries and veins in the arms and
legs, a thrombus blocks the artery > continued presence of thrombosis, fibrosis and decreased
blood > tissue ischemia
At risk: men younger than 45 years old with a hx of tobacco or marijuana use and no other
CVD risk factors
S+S: red or blue fingers/toes, intermittent claudication, color and temp changes, parenthesia,
superficial vein thrombosis, sensitivity to cold
Tx: total abstinence from tobacco/marijuana, protect extremities from cold and injury,
walking, analgesics
What is Raynaud's phenomenon?
Episodic vasospasms of the small cutaneous (surface) arteries
S+S: color changes in the fingers, toes, ears and nose (pallor, cyanosis, or redness),
Answers
When assessing for peripheral vascular disease, what would you inspect?
Skin color, intactness, size, symmetry of extremities, any swelling/edema, hair growth and
distribution on arms and legs
When assessing for peripheral vascular disease, what would you palpate?
Palpate pulses (radial, brachial, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, and dorsal is pedis), lymph
nodes, skin temperature, and edema
What is the biggest risk factor of PAD?
Atherosclerosis
Other risk factors: tobacco, DM, uncontrolled HTN, hyperlipidemia, family hx, weight
What are the clinical manifestations of PAD?
Half of ppl with PAD have no symptoms, intermittent claudication, weak pulses, legs that
feel numb/weak/heavy, pain in specific areas at specific times, changes in skin color/temp,
hair loss, wounds that do not heal, dead tissue (gangrene), severe forms of PAD result in limb
threatening ischemia
What is acute peripheral arterial disease (or acute arterial ischemia)?
Sudden interruption in the arterial blood supply to a tissue, organ, or an extremity. If
untreated > tissue necrosis and gangrene
S+S: sudden onset, pain, pallor, pulselessness, parenthesia, poikilothermia (coldness),
paralysis > foot drop
Risks: recent arterial procedure (cardiac catheter), compartment syndrome, cast that is too
, tight, trauma/injury to arteries of legs
#1 Cause: Embolization of a thrombus
What is chronic peripheral arterial disease?
S+S: Chronic pain, gradual onset, cramping, numbness, tingling, cold, intermittent
claudication, six P's (pain, pallor, parenthesia, pulselessness, poikilothermia (coldness),
paralysis) but less severe than acute, smooth, well defined, dry ulcers on ankles/feet (toes or
lateral malleolus), hair loss, 1+ or absent pulse
Risk: older adults, smoking, HTN, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, vascular disease
What is treatment for peripheral artery disease?
Dangle legs
What is thromboangitis obliteratens (Buerger's dz)
Segmental recurrent inflammation in the small and medium arteries and veins in the arms and
legs, a thrombus blocks the artery > continued presence of thrombosis, fibrosis and decreased
blood > tissue ischemia
At risk: men younger than 45 years old with a hx of tobacco or marijuana use and no other
CVD risk factors
S+S: red or blue fingers/toes, intermittent claudication, color and temp changes, parenthesia,
superficial vein thrombosis, sensitivity to cold
Tx: total abstinence from tobacco/marijuana, protect extremities from cold and injury,
walking, analgesics
What is Raynaud's phenomenon?
Episodic vasospasms of the small cutaneous (surface) arteries
S+S: color changes in the fingers, toes, ears and nose (pallor, cyanosis, or redness),
