In the clinic you are caring for a 57-year-old client who reports experiencing leg pain whenever she walks several blocks. The patient has type 1 diabetes and has smoked a pack of cigarettes every day for the past 40 years
The physician diagnoses intermittent claudication. You should provide what instruction about long-term care to the client?
A) Practice meticulous foot care.
B) Consider cutting down on your smoking.
C) Reduce your exercise level.
D) See the physician if the symptoms bother you.
Ans: A
Feedback: The patient with peripheral vascular disease or diabetes mellitus should receive education or reinforcement about skin and foot care. Intermittent claudication and other chronic peripheral vascular diseases reduce oxygenation to the feet, making them susceptible to injury and poor healing; therefore, meticulous foot care is essential. The nurse should teach the client to bathe his feet in warm water, dry them thoroughly, cut his toenails straight across, wear well-fitting shoes, and avoid taking medication unless cleared by the physician. The client should stop smoking—not just cut down—because nicotine is a vasoconstrictor. Daily walking benefits the client with intermittent claudication. The client should see the physician regularly, not just when she is bothered by symptoms.
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