Assessment and Management of Patients With Vascular Disorders

Chapter 30: Assessment and Management of Patients With Vascular Disorders and Problems of Peripheral Circulation 1. The nurse is taking a health history of a new patient. The patient reports experiencing pain in his left lower leg and foot when walking. This pain is relieved with rest. The nurse notes that the left lower leg is slightly edematous and is hairless. When planning this patients subsequent care, the nurse should most likely address what health problem? A) Coronary artery disease (CAD) B) Intermittent claudication C) Arterial embolus D) Raynauds disease Ans: B Feedback: A muscular, cramp-type pain in the extremities consistently reproduced with the same degree of exercise or activity and relieved by rest is experienced by patients with peripheral arterial insufficiency. Referred to as intermittent claudication, this pain is caused by the inability of the arterial system to provide adequate blood flow to the tissues in the face of increased demands for nutrients and oxygen during exercise. The nurse would not suspect the patient has CAD, arterial embolus, or Raynauds disease; none of these health problems produce this cluster of signs and symptoms. 2. While assessing a patient the nurse notes that the patients ankle-brachial index (ABI) of the right leg is 0.40. How should the nurse best respond to this assessment finding? A) Assess the patients use of over-the-counter dietary supplements. B B) Implement interventions relevant to arterial narrowing. C) Encourage the patient to increase intake of foods high in vitamin K. D) Adjust the patients activity level to accommodate decreased coronary output. Ans: Feedback: ABI is used to assess the degree of stenosis of peripheral arteries. An ABI of less than 1.0 indicates possible claudication of the peripheral arteries. It does not indicate inadequate coronary output. There is no direct indication for changes in vitamin K intake and OTC medications are not likely causative. A) 3. The nurse is providing care for a patient who has just been diagnosed with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD). What assessment finding is most consistent with this diagnosis? Numbness and tingling in the distal extremities B) Unequal peripheral pulses between extremities C) Visible clubbing of the fingers and toes D) Reddened extremities with muscle atrophy Ans: B Feedback: PAD assessment may manifest as unequal pulses between extremities, with the affected leg cooler and paler than the unaffected leg. Intermittent claudication is far more common than sensations of numbness and tingling. Clubbing and muscle atrophy are not associated with PAD. A) 4. The nurse is admitting a 32-year-old woman to the presurgical unit. The nurse learns during the admission assessment that the patient takes oral contraceptives. Consequently, the nurses postoperative plan of care should include what intervention? Early ambulation and leg exercises B) Cessation of the oral contraceptives until 3 weeks postoperative C) Doppler ultrasound of peripheral circulation twice daily D) Dependent positioning of the patients extremities when at rest Ans: A Feedback: Oral contraceptive use increases blood coagulability; with bed rest, the patient may be at increased risk of developing deep vein thrombosis. Leg exercises and early ambulation are among the interventions that address this risk. Assessment of peripheral circulation is important, but Doppler ultrasound may not be necessary to obtain these data. Dependent positioning increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Contraceptives are not normally discontinued to address the risk of VTE in the short term. 5. A nurse is creating an education plan for a patient with venous insufficiency. What measure should the nurse include in the plan? D) Upper extremity VTE Ans: C Feedback: The patient with upper extremity arterial occlusive disease typically complains of arm fatigue and pain with exercise (forearm claudication) and inability to hold or grasp objects (e.g., combing hair, placing objects on shelves above the head) and, occasionally, difficulty driving. Assessment findings include coolness and pallor of the affected extremity, decreased capillary refill, and a difference in arm blood pressures of more than 20 mm Hg. These symptoms are not closely associated with Raynauds or lymphedema. The upper extremities are rare sites for VTE. 22. A nurse working in a long-term care facility is performing the admission assessment of a newly admitted, 85-year-old resident. During inspection of the residents feet, the nurse notes that she appears to have early evidence of gangrene on one of her great toes. The nurse knows that gangrene in the elderly is often the first sign of what? A) Chronic venous insufficiency B) Raynauds phenomenon C) VTE D) PAD Ans: D Feedback: In elderly people, symptoms of PAD may be more pronounced than in younger people. In elderly patients who are inactive, gangrene may be the first sign of disease. Venous insufficiency does not normally manifest with gangrene. Similarly, VTE and Raynauds phenomenon do not cause the ischemia that underlies gangrene. 23. The prevention of VTE is an important part of the nursing care of high-risk patients. When providing patient teaching for these high-risk patients, the nurse should advise lifestyle changes, including which of the following? Select all that apply. A) High-protein diet B) Weight loss C) Regular exercise D) Smoking cessation E) Calcium and vitamin D supplementation Ans: B. C. D Feedback: Patients at risk for VTE should be advised to make lifestyle changes, as appropriate, which may include weight loss, smoking cessation, and regular exercise. Increased protein intake and supplementation with vitamin D and calcium do not address the main risk factors for VTE. 24. The nurse is caring for an acutely ill patient who is on anticoagulant therapy. The patient has a comorbidity of renal insufficiency. How will this patients renal status affect heparin therapy? A) Heparin is contraindicated in the treatment of this patient. B) Heparin may be administered subcutaneously, but not IV. C) Lower doses of heparin are required for this patient. D) Coumadin will be substituted for heparin. Ans: C Feedback: If renal insufficiency exists, lower doses of heparin are required. Coumadin cannot be safely and effectively used as a substitute and there is no contraindication for IV administration. 25. The nurse is assessing a woman who is pregnant at 27 weeks gestation. The patient is concerned about the recent emergence of varicose veins on the backs of her calves. What is the nurses best response? A) B) C) D) Facilitate a referral to a vascular surgeon. Assess the patients ankle-brachial index (ABI) and perform Doppler ultrasound testing. Encourage the patient to increase her activity level. Teach the patient that circulatory changes during pregnancy frequently cause varicose veins. D Ans: Feedback: Pregnancy may cause varicosities because of hormonal effects related to decreased venous outflow, increased pressure by the gravid uterus, and increased blood volume. In most cases, no intervention or referral is necessary. This finding is not an indication for ABI assessment and increased activity will not likely resolve the problem. 26. Graduated compression stockings have been prescribed to treat a patients venous insufficiency. What education should the nurse prioritize when introducing this intervention to the patient? A) The need to take anticoagulants concurrent with using compression stockings B) The need to wear the stockings on a one day on, one day off schedule C) The importance of wearing the stockings around the clock to ensure maximum benefit D) The importance of ensuring the stockings are applied evenly with no pressure points Ans: D Feedback: Any type of stocking can inadvertently become a tourniquet if applied incorrectly (i.e., rolled tightly at the top). In such instances, the stockings produce rather than prevent stasis. For ambulatory patients, graduated compression stockings are removed at night and reapplied before the legs are lowered from the bed to the floor in the morning. They are used daily, not on alternating days. Anticoagulants are not always indicated in patients who are using compression stockings. 27. The nurse caring for a patient with a leg ulcer has finished assessing the patient and is developing a problem list prior to writing a plan of care. What major nursing diagnosis might the care plan include? A) Risk for disuse syndrome B) Ineffective health maintenance C) Sedentary lifestyle D) Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements Ans: D Feedback: Major nursing diagnoses for the patient with leg ulcers may include imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements, related to increased need for nutrients that promote wound healing. Risk for disuse syndrome is a state in which an individual is at risk for deterioration of body systems owing to prescribed or unavoidable musculoskeletal inactivity. A leg ulcer will affect activity, but rarely to this degree. Leg ulcers are not necessarily a consequence of ineffective health maintenance or sedentary lifestyle.