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Clinical Manifestations of DVT
Clinical Manifestations of DVT ( 5 Questions)
A nurse is assessing a client who has a history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the provider?
Warmth and erythema in the affected leg are signs of inflammation and possible infection caused by deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition in which blood clots form in veins located deep inside the body, usually in the thigh or lower legs.
The nurse should report this finding to the provider as it may indicate a serious complication.
A negative Homans’ sign, which is the absence of pain in the calf when the foot is dorsiflexed, does not rule out DVT.This sign is unreliable and nonspecific for DVT diagnosis.
Decreased calf circumference is not a typical symptom of DVT.In fact, DVT may cause swelling of the affected leg due to impaired blood flow.
Pallor and coolness in the affected leg are more indicative of arterial occlusion, which is a blockage of blood flow in an artery, rather than venous occlusion, which is a blockage of blood flow in a vein.
The correct answer is choice A. Warmth and erythema in the affected leg are signs of inflammation and possible infection caused by deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition in which blood clots form in veins located deep inside the body, usually in the thigh or lower legs.
The nurse should report this finding to the provider as it may indicate a serious complication.
Choice B is wrong because a negative Homans’ sign, which is the absence of pain in the calf when the foot is dorsiflexed, does not rule out DVT. This sign is unreliable and nonspecific for DVT diagnosis.
Choice C is wrong because decreased calf circumference is not a typical symptom of DVT. In fact, DVT may cause swelling of the affected leg due to impaired blood flow.
Choice D is wrong because pallor and coolness in the affected leg are more indicative of arterial occlusion, which is a blockage of blood flow in an artery, rather than venous occlusion, which is a blockage of blood flow in a vein.
Normal ranges for D-dimer blood test, which measures a substance in the blood that’s released when a blood clot dissolves, are less than 0.5 mcg/mL or 500 ng/mL. High levels of D-dimer may indicate DVT or other conditions that cause blood clots.