Peripheral Arterial Evaluation Flashcards
7 cards from real CCI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Peripheral Arterial Evaluation flashcards as text
A patient with diabetes has non-compressible ankle vessels on ABI testing. Which alternative measurement is most appropriate?
Answer: Toe-brachial index
The toe-brachial index (TBI) is the preferred alternative because digital arteries are rarely calcified in diabetic patients.
During exercise ABI testing, a patient's ABI drops from 0.85 at rest to 0.52 immediately after treadmill walking. What does this indicate?
Answer: Hemodynamically significant arterial stenosis
A post-exercise ABI drop of ≥20% or to below 0.90 confirms hemodynamically significant PAD not apparent at rest.
Which artery is the most common site of atherosclerotic occlusion in the lower extremity?
Answer: Superficial femoral artery at the adductor canal
The superficial femoral artery at the adductor (Hunter's) canal is the most common site of lower extremity atherosclerotic occlusion.
What is the significance of a high-thigh pressure that is lower than the brachial pressure in segmental limb pressure testing?
Answer: Suggests aortoiliac occlusive disease
A high-thigh pressure lower than brachial pressure indicates inflow disease at the aortoiliac level.
On a lower extremity duplex scan, color flow imaging shows aliasing at a focal arterial segment. What is the primary cause of aliasing?
Answer: Velocity exceeding the Nyquist limit
Aliasing occurs when blood flow velocity exceeds the Nyquist limit (half the pulse repetition frequency), causing color wraparound.
A patient undergoing lower extremity arterial evaluation has a biphasic waveform at the posterior tibial artery. What does this suggest compared to a normal triphasic waveform?
Answer: Mild proximal disease with preserved forward flow
A biphasic waveform with loss of the reverse flow component suggests mild to moderate proximal arterial disease reducing peripheral resistance.
In peripheral arterial duplex imaging, what insonation angle should be maintained for accurate velocity measurements?
Answer: 60 degrees or less
An angle of 60 degrees or less is required for accurate Doppler velocity measurements; angles above 60 degrees introduce significant error.