Question

1. Ms. Feather is a significantly overweight, 48-year-old Native American woman She had participated in the state’s annual health screening program and noticed that her fasting blood sugar was 141 and her cholesterol was 225. However, she felt “perfectly fine at the time” and could not afford any more medications. Today, she presents to the reservation medical facility complaining that her left foot has been weak and numb for nearly three weeks and that the foot is difficult to flex. She reports that she has been very thirsty lately and gets up more often at night to urinate. She has attributed these symptoms to the extremely warm weather and drinking more water to keep hydrated. She has gained a total of 65 pounds since her last pregnancy 14 years ago, 15 pounds in the last 6 months alone. Peripheral pulses diminished in both feet. Feet are cold to touch and dry with cracking, but no ulceration observed. What is the significance of this patient’s cold feet and diminished peripheral pulses in the lower extremities? What is the likely diagnosis, and which features of the medical assessment lead to this conclusion?
2. this is from a patho class and is the entire question, no more information is avaliable. I know it has something to do with DM type2 and probably diabetic neuropathy.

Answer 1

The signs and symptoms of this patient include the diminished peripheral pulse and feets are cold to touch and with cracking.She has numbness and weakness of the foot and difficult to flex.From this signs and symptoms we can understand that this patient is suffering from Peripheral Artery Disease.In peripheral artery disease the blood supply to the lower extrimity is diminished and causes the absence or the weak pulse,and the feet will be cold to touch.Here the risk factors that causes the PAD are diabetes,,high cholestrol level and obesity.And this PAD can lead to peripheral neuropathy.The ultimate reaason for this condition in this patient is type 2 diabetes