chapter 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."

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.

Health teaching includes advising patients on ways to reduce PAD. The nurse should always emphasize that the strongest risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic lesions is:

Cigarette smoking.

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

Which of the following is a diagnostic test that involves injection of a contrast media into the venous system through a dorsal vein in the foot?

Contrast phlebography

Which of the following is the hallmark symptom for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the lower extremity?

Intermittent claudication

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

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 pregnant client who developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in her right leg is receiving heparin I.V. on the medical floor. Physical therapy is ordered to maintain her mobility and prevent additional DVT. A nursing assistant working on the medical unit helps the client with bathing, range-of-motion exercises, and personal care. Which collaborative multidisciplinary considerations should the care plan address?

The client is at risk for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia; therefore, the care plan should include reporting evidence of bleeding or easy bruising.

When administering heparin anticoagulant therapy, the nurse needs to make certain that the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) is within the therapeutic range of:

1.5 to 2.5 times the baseline control.

The nurse is monitoring a patient who is on heparin anticoagulant therapy. What should the nurse determine the therapeutic range of the international normalized ratio (INR) should be?

2.0-3.0

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.

The nurse is assessing a patient two days postoperatively who is suspected of having deep vein obstruction. The patient is complaining of pain in the left lower extremity and there is a 2-cm difference in the right and left leg circumference. What intervention can the nurse provide to promote arterial flow to the lower extremities?

Apply a heating pad to the patient's abdomen.

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

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

Which aneurysm results in bleeding into the layers of the arterial wall?

Dissecting

The nurse knows which diagnostic test is used to document the anatomic site of reflux and provides a quantitative measure of the severity of valvular reflux?

Duplex ultrasound scan

A patient is having an angiography to detect the presence of an aneurysm. After the contrast is administered by the interventionist, the patient begins to complain of nausea and difficulty breathing. What medication is a priority to administer at this time?

Epinephrine

Which statement is accurate regarding Raynaud disease?

Episodes may be triggered by unusual sensitivity to cold.

Providing postoperative care to a patient who has percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), with insertion of a stent, for a femoral artery lesion, includes assessment for the most serious complication of:

Hemorrhage

The nurse is caring for a patient who has started anticoagulant therapy with warfarin (Coumadin). When does the nurse understand that therapeutic benefits will begin?

In 3 to 5 days

A client is diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Which nursing diagnosis should receive highest priority at this time?

Ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion related to venous congestion

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.

The nurse is caring for a patient with peripheral arterial insufficiency. What can the nurse suggest to help relieve leg pain during rest?

Lowering the limb so that it is dependent

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 client has been diagnosed with peripheral arterial occlusive disease. Which of the following instructions is appropriate for the nurse to give the client for promoting circulation to the extremities?

Participate in a regular walking program.

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.

What should the nurse do to manage persistent swelling in a client with severe lymphangitis and lymphadenitis?

Teach the client how to apply a graduated compression stocking.

What should the nurse do to manage the persistent swelling in a client with severe lymphangitis and lymphadenitis?

Teach the client how to apply an elastic sleeve

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. For what should the nurse assess the patient's lower extremities?

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 gaiter 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

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.