NCLEX RN Prioritization Questions Related

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A nurse is caring for a patient with peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The patient
complains of burning and tingling of the hands and feet and cannot tolerate touch of any
kind. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for these symptoms?

  • A. Inadequate tissue perfusion leading to nerve damage.
  • B. Fluid overload leading to compression of nerve tissue.
  • C. Sensation distortion due to psychiatric disturbance.
  • D. Inflammation of the skin on the hands and feet.
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Patients with the peripheral vascular disease often sustain nerve damage as a result of
inadequate tissue perfusion. Ischemic rest pain is more worrisome; it refers to pain in the
extremity that is due to a combination of PVD and inadequate perfusion. Ischemic rest
pain often is exacerbated by poor cardiac output. The condition is often partially or fully
relieved by placing the extremity in a dependent position, so that perfusion is enhanced by
the effects of gravity.