PAD Basics
This condition occurs when plaque builds up inside the arteries and reduces blood flow, most commonly to the legs
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
This classic PAD symptom causes leg pain or cramping wits walking/activity that improves with rest
intermittent claudication
This lifestyle habit is considered one of the strongest modifiable risk factors for PAD
smoking
This noninvasive test compares blood pressure in the ankle with blood pressure in the arm to evaluate arterial circulation
Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)
Name the interventions we perform in our Office-Based Lab (OBL)
-Atherectomy
-Angioplasty/Stenting
-Pedal Loop
PAD is most commonly caused by this process involving plaque buildup in the arteries
atherosclerosis
These may be diminished or absent in a patient with significant arterial disease
pedal/dorsal pulses
Patients with this metabolic disease have a significantly increased risk of developing PAD
diabetes
This imaging test uses ultrasound to evaluate blood flow through the arteries
arterial duplex ultrasound
What procedure works from inside the blood vessel using a tiny balloon to flatten plaque and restore blood flow to your limbs
Angioplasty
This type of blood vessel is primarily affected in PAD
arteries
A patient complains that their foot hurts when lying down but feels better when they hang their leg over the side of their bed. This can be a sign of this ____
ischemic rest pain
Name 3 additional major risk factors for PAD besides smoking and diabetes
- hypertension
-high cholesterol
-chronic kidney disease
-older age
When ABI results may be unreliable because arteries are difficult to compress, particularly in some patients with diabetes, this additional test may be useful
Toe-Brachial Index (TBI)
What is it called to use a specialized catheter to physically remove plaque by shaving, cutting, or grinding
Atherectomy
A patient with PAD has inadequate blood flow to the lower extremities severe enough to cause rest pain, no healing wounds, or gangrene. This advanced limb-threatening condition is called this ____
Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI)
Symptoms related to the appearance of the leg/toes due to PAD
-Shinny, smooth skin
-Pale, bluish skin color appearance
-Decreased hair growth
-Cool extremities
-Thickening, discoloration (pale, yellowish, or dull), and halted growth of toe nails
A patient has diabetes, HTN, high cholesterol, and a hx of smoking. These risk factors increase the likelihood of developing this underlying vascular process
atherosclerosis
What is the diagnostic test used to determine what intervention is to be performed for PAD
Angiogram
What intervention involves using a catheter with a balloon to insert into an artery to dilate the vessel and a stent placed to maintain patency
Angioplasty with Stenting
The risk multiplies drastically when PAD is combined with diabetes. Roughly ____% of all vascular-related lower extremity amputations in the U.S. involve patients who suffer from diabetes complications alongside impaired arterial blood flow
82%
What symptoms are associated with Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI)
-wounds below ankle
-cool, absent pulses
-gangrene
-ischemic rest pain
True or False: A patient can have significant PAD even if they do not complain of leg pain when walking or when at rest
TRUE: Many patients with PAD are asymptomatic or have atypical symptoms
What is the name of an advanced, catheter-based diagnostic imaging tool that allows physicians to see inside a blood vessel in real-time using high-frequency sound waves
Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS)
What is a specialized technique that is only performed at unique centers with expertise in treating patients with complex patterns of critical limb ischemia
Pedal Loop