The nurse is concerned with possible impaired peripheral perfusion after performing a patient's assessment. Which assessment datum about the patient's lower extremities supports the nurse's suspicion?

Question

a. The ankle bones are prominent.
b. The skin is warm and pink bilaterally.
c. The legs ache when in a dependent posi-tion.
d. The peripheral pulses are absent on both legs.

Answer 1

D
Clinical indicators of impaired perfusion to a lower extremity include absent or diminished pulses, cool and dusky skin, and pain on exertion; if the disease is advanced, the patient potentially has pain at rest. Prominent ankle bones are normal. Warm pink skin is a clinical indicator of adequate tissue oxygenation. Aching in the lower extremities when in the dependent position is characteristic of venous insufficiency.