CH 30

A community health nurse teaches a group of older adults about modifiable risk factors that contribute to the development of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The nurse knows that the teaching was effective based on which statement?

"I will need to stop smoking because the nicotine causes less blood to flow to my hands and feet."

The nurse is assisting a patient with peripheral arterial disease to ambulate in the hallway. What should the nurse include in the education of the patient during ambulation?

"Walk to the point of pain, rest until the pain subsides, then resume ambulation."

To assess the dorsalis pedis artery, the nurse would use the tips of three fingers and apply light pressure to the:

Anterior surface of the foot near the ankle joint.

You are presenting a workshop at the senior citizens center about how the changes of aging predisposes clients to vascular occlusive disorders. What would you name as the most common cause of peripheral arterial problems in the older adult?

Atherosclerosis

The nurse is caring for a client with Raynaud's disease. What are important instructions for a client who is diagnosed with this disease to prevent an attack?

Avoid situations that contribute to ischemic episodes.

A client is recovering from surgical repair of a dissecting aortic aneurysm. Which assessment findings indicate possible bleeding or recurring dissection?

Blood pressure of 82/40 mm Hg and heart rate of 125 beats/minute

The nurse assesses a patient with hip pain related to intermittent claudication. She knows that the area of arterial narrowing is the:

Common iliac artery.

A client is hospitalized for repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The nurse must be alert for signs and symptoms of aneurysm rupture and thus looks for which of the following?

Constant, intense back pain and falling blood pressure

As the clinic nurse caring for a client with varicose veins, what is an appropriate nursing action for this client?

Demonstrate how to apply and remove elastic support stockings.

The nurse assessing a client who has arterial insufficiency of the legs and an ulcer on the left great toe would expect to find which characteristic?

Diminished or absent pulses

Which is a characteristic of arterial insufficiency?

Diminished or absent pulses

A client with venous insufficiency asks the nurse what they can do to decrease their risk of complications. What advice should the nurse provide to clients with venous insufficiency?

Elevate the legs periodically for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

Which statement is accurate regarding Reynaud disease?

Episodes may be triggered by unusual sensitivity to cold.

A client is receiving enoxaparin and warfarin therapy for a venous thromboembolism (VTE). Which laboratory value indicates that anticoagulation is adequate and enoxaparin can be discontinued?

International normalized ratio (INR) is 2.5.

A nurse assesses a patient for a possible abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Which of the following signs would the nurse recognize as positive indicators? Select all that apply.

Low back pain Lower abdominal pain An abdominal pulsatile mass A systolic bruit

A client is diagnosed with peripheral arterial disease. Review of the client's chart shows an ankle-brachial index (ABI) on the right of 0.45. This indicates that the right foot has which of the following?

Moderate to severe arterial insufficiency

A nurse is assessing a client's right lower leg, which is wrapped with an elastic bandage. Which signs and symptoms suggest circulatory impairment?

Numbness, cool skin temperature, and pallor

A nurse is caring for a client following an arterial vascular bypass graft in the leg. What should the nurse plan to assess over the next 24 hours?

Peripheral pulses every 15 minutes after surgery

A patient complains of a "stabbing pain and a burning sensation" in his left foot. The nurse notices that the foot is a lighter color than the rest of the skin. The artery that the nurse suspects is occluded would be the:

Posterior tibial.

A postoperative client is receiving heparin after developing thrombophlebitis. The nurse monitors the client carefully for bleeding and other adverse effects of heparin. If the client starts to exhibit signs of excessive bleeding, the nurse should expect to administer an antidote that is specific to heparin. Which agent fits this description?

Protamine sulfate

A client with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) complains that his hands become pale, blue, and painful when exposed to the cold. What disease should the nurse cite as an explanation for these signs and symptoms?

Raynaud's disease

A physician admits a client to the health care facility for treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. When planning this client's care, which goal should the nurse keep in mind as she formulates interventions?

Stabilizing heart rate and blood pressure and easing anxiety

A nurse is providing education about the prevention of arterial constriction to a client with peripheral arterial disease. Which of the following includes priority information the nurse would give to the client?

Stop smoking.

On a routine visit to the physician, a client with chronic arterial occlusive disease reports that he's stopped smoking after 34 years. To relieve symptoms of intermittent claudication, a condition associated with chronic arterial occlusive disease, which additional measure should the nurse recommend?

Taking daily walks

A nurse and physician are preparing to visit a hospitalized client with peripheral arterial disease. As you approach the client's room, the physician asks if the client has reported any intermittent claudication. The client has reported this symptom. The nurse explains to the physician which of the following details?

The client can walk about 50 feet before getting pain in the right lower leg.

Which of the following is the most common site for a dissecting aneurysm?

Thoracic area

The nurse is caring for a patient with venous insufficiency. What should the nurse assess the patient's lower extremities for?

Ulceration

What symptoms should the nurse assess for in a client with lymphedema as a result of impaired nutrition to the tissue?

Ulcers and infection in the edematous area

A home health nurse is seeing an elderly male client for the first time. During the physical assessment of the skin on the lower legs, the nurse notes edema, brown pigmentation in the gater area, pedal pulses, and a few irregularly shaped ulcers around the ankles. From these findings, the nurse knows that the client has a problem with peripheral circulation. Which of the following does the nurse suspect?

Venous insufficiency

The term for a diagnostic test that involves injection of a contrast media into the venous system through a dorsal vein in the foot is

contrast phlebography.

The most important reason for a nurse to encourage a client with peripheral vascular disease to initiate a walking program is that this form of exercise:

decreases venous congestion.

A nurse is instructing a client about using antiembolism stockings. Antiembolism stockings help prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) by:

forcing blood into the deep venous system.