NURS 201 Lecture Notes - Deep Artery Of The Thigh, Peripheral Artery Disease, Femoral Artery
28 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Peripheral arterial disease (pad) is a progressive narrowing and degeneration of the arteries of the neck, abdomen, and extremities. In most cases, it is a result of atherosclerosis. Pad typically appears in the sixth to eighth decades of life. It occurs at an earlier age in persons with diabetes mellitus and more frequently in african americans. The four most significant risk factors for pad are cigarette smoking (most important), hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. The most common locations for pad are the coronary arteries, carotid arteries, aortic bifurcation, iliac and common femoral arteries, profunda femoris artery, superficial femoral artery, and distal popliteal artery. Aortic aneurysms are outpouchings or dilations of the arterial wall. The primary causes of aortic aneurysms can be classified as degenerative, congenital, mechanical, inflammatory, or infectious. Aortic aneurysms may involve the aortic arch, thoracic aorta, and/or abdominal aorta, but most are found in the abdominal aorta below the level of the renal arteries.
