Question

A nurse is assessing a client who has deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) in the right lower extremity. Which of the following findings on the affected extremity should the nurse expect?

a) Increased warmth and erythema
b) Pitting edema
c) Pallor and coolness
d) Absence of pain or tenderness

Answer 1

A nurse assessing a client with DVT in the lower extremity should expect increased warmth and erythema due to inflammation, and pitting edema due to fluid accumulation in the tissues.

Step-by-step explanation:

When assessing a client with deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) in the right lower extremity, a nurse should expect certain clinical findings. The correct answer is option a) Increased warmth and erythema. DVT typically presents with symptoms that include pain or tenderness, swelling, warmth, and red or discolored skin in the affected area. Therefore, the nurse would expect the right lower extremity to exhibit increased warmth and erythema (redness of the skin) as these are indicative of inflammation caused by the thrombus in the deep vein. Pitting edema is also a common finding in DVT and is caused by an accumulation of excess water in the soft tissues of the affected extremity, due to increased pressure within the veins leading to fluid leakage into the interstitial tissues.