NURS 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Deep Vein Thrombosis, Chronic Venous Insufficiency, Internal Jugular Vein
28 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Raynaud"s phenomenon is an episodic vasospastic disorder of small cutaneous arteries, most frequently involving the fingers and toes. The exact etiology of raynaud"s phenomenon remains unknown. Clinical symptoms include vasospasm-induced color changes of the fingers, toes, ears, and nose (white, blue, and red). An episode usually lasts only minutes but in severe cases may persist for several hours. Symptoms usually are precipitated by exposure to cold, emotional upsets, caffeine, and tobacco use. There is no simple diagnostic test for raynaud"s phenomenon, and diagnosis is based on persistent symptoms for at least 2 years. Patient teaching should be directed toward prevention of recurrent episodes: temperature extremes and all tobacco products should be avoided. Calcium channel blockers are the first-line drug therapy. Venous thrombosis is the most common disorder of the veins and involves the formation of a thrombus (clot) in association with inflammation of the vein.
