What is a peripheral vascular assessment nursing?

A peripheral vascular examination is a medical examination to discover signs of pathology in the peripheral vascular system. It is performed as part of a physical examination, or when a patient presents with leg pain suggestive of a cardiovascular pathology. The exam includes several parts: Position/lighting/draping.

What assessments should the nurse do when assessing a patient’s peripheral vascular system?

Assessment of the Peripheral Vascular System Auscultation: The nurse assesses the carotids for the presence of any abnormal bruits. Palpation: The peripheral veins are gently touched to determine the temperature of the skin, the presence of any tenderness and swelling.

How do you assess peripheral vascular system?

Palpate the pulse to confirm its presence and then compare pulse strength between the feet.

1. Palpate the femoral pulse.
2. Auscultate the femoral artery.
3. Assess for radio-femoral delay.
4. Palpate the popliteal pulse.
5. Auscultate the popliteal artery.
6. Palpate the posterior tibial pulse.
7. Palpate the dorsalis pedis pulse.

Why is peripheral vascular assessment important?

The peripheral vascular examination provides valuable information on general health status and can help to determine the status of the arteries and veins. In addition, some diseases directly affect the peripheral vascular system.

What should be included in a peripheral vascular assessment?

Physical examination findings in patients with PVD vary. They may include absent or diminished pulses, abnormal skin color, poor hair growth and cool skin. The most reliable physical findings of PVD are diminished or absent pedal pulses, the presence of femoral artery bruit, abnormal skin color and/or cool skin.

What are some nursing interventions for PAD?

How is PAD treated?

• quitting smoking, if you smoke.
• lowering your blood pressure.
• lowering your cholesterol levels.
• managing your blood sugar levels.
• following a healthy eating plan.
• getting regular exercise, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking, every day.
• losing weight if you’re too heavy.

What assessment data should the nurse collect that would indicate the presence of peripheral vascular disease PVD )?

When assessing a pulse What 3 things does the nurse observe?

When taking a patient’s pulse, you should note the patient’s pulse rate, the strength of the pulse, and the regularity of the pulse. Most of the pulse characteristics are illustrated in figure 3-1.

What physical assessment findings should the nurse anticipate when examining a patient with peripheral artery disease in a lower extremity?

Physical examination findings suggestive of PAD include abnormal pulses, audible bruits, nonhealing lower extremity wounds, lower extremity gangrene, elevation pallor, dependent rubor, delayed capillary refill, and cool extremities ( Table 2 ). Patients with one or more of these findings should undergo ABI testing.

What is included in the peripheral vascular system?

The peripheral vascular system is the part of the circulatory system that consists of the veins and arteries not in the chest or abdomen (i.e. in the arms, hands, legs and feet).

How do you report peripheral pulses?

Palpation should be done using the fingertips and intensity of the pulse graded on a scale of 0 to 4 +:0 indicating no palpable pulse; 1 + indicating a faint, but detectable pulse; 2 + suggesting a slightly more diminished pulse than normal; 3 + is a normal pulse; and 4 + indicating a bounding pulse.

What is the priority assessment for the patient with PAD?

Patients at increased risk of PAD should undergo vascular examination, including palpation of lower extremity pulses (e.g., femoral, popliteal, dorsalis pedis, and posterior tibial), auscultation for femoral bruits, and inspection of the legs and feet.