The edema noted in the lower extremities of a client with peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is most likely related to option 4: increased venous pressure.
Peripheral vascular disease refers to conditions that affect the blood vessels outside of the heart and brain, typically involving the arteries and veins of the legs and feet. In PVD, there is often impaired blood flow, which can lead to increased venous pressure.
When venous pressure increases, it can cause fluid to leak out of the blood vessels and accumulate in the surrounding tissues, resulting in edema. This is known as venous insufficiency or venous stasis, and it commonly presents as bilateral ankle edema in individuals with PVD.
The other options are not typically associated with the development of edema in PVD:
- Competent venous valves (option 1) would help prevent venous insufficiency and edema.
- Decreased blood volume (option 2) would not typically cause edema, as it would result in decreased fluid accumulation.
- Increased muscular activity (option 3) may increase blood flow but would not directly cause edema.