NURS 202 Chapter Notes - Chapter 21: Chronic Venous Insufficiency, Peripheral Artery Disease, Varicose Veins
Document Summary
Chapter 21: peripheral vascular system & lymphatic system. Veins contain intraluminal valves called capacitance vessels because they can stretch and hold more blood when blood volume increases. This compensatory mechanism reduces stress on the heart. Other risk factors are hypercoagulation, vein wall trauma, varicose veins, obesity, pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. The lymphatic system is a separate system that retrieves fluid from tissue spaces and returns it to the bloodstream. Has three major functions: conserves fluid and plasma proteins that leak out of capillaries, major part of the immune system that defends against disease, absorbs lipids from the intestinal tract. Lymph nodes are small oval clumps of lymphatic tissue located at intervals along the vessels. They filter fluid before it is returned to the bloodstream and remove harmful organisms. In lymph nodes, pathogens are exposed to lymphocytes, which mount an antigen-specific response to eliminate the pathogens. With local inflammation, the nodes in the affected area become swollen and tender.
