Question

ASSESS: Differentiate between venous and arterial insufficiency during a physical assessment.

Answer 1

Arterial insufficiency is decreased blood flow to the body organs leads to ischemia and damage to the tissues.

Venous insufficiency is the decreased return of blood from different parts of the body to heart which leads to accumulation of blood in the body.

The assessment can include

Arterial insufficiency	Venous insufficiently
Weak or diminished pulse	Normal pulse
No edema or infrequent	presence of edema due to stasis of blood especially in lower limbs
Skin will be cool,shiny, pale	skin will be warm,thich,rough and molted.
Sharp, stabbing pain on exertion( lower limbs)and lowering the feet reduce pain.	Cramping and aching decreases by exertion and limb elevation releve pain.
Pale, grey coloured ulcers on the lower limb with severe pain.	Pink moderately painful ulcers on the lower limbs