An 86-year-old female tells a home care health nurse that her feet are always cold and that she has trouble sleeping at night because of the pain she experiences in her feet. The nurse immediately identifies that these signs:
Explanation
Answer- C - The nurse should immediately identify that these symptoms indicate arterial insufficiency. Arterial insufficiency is characterized by intermittent claudication, pain at rest, and pale, cool extremities. Pain in the feet and coldness are not normal aging changes but suggest an abnormal cardiovascular occurrence. Pain in the feet and coldness are not normal musculoskeletal aging related changes. Venous insufficiency is characterized by dull ache, venous stasis with resulting edema, and brown pigmentation around the ankles.
