Critical Care

Essay by kaz1111College, UndergraduateB, January 2008

download word file, 11 pages 5.0

This assignment will explain the pathophysiology of the disease process of peripheral vascular disease (PVD). It will examine how this disease affects an individual looking at the biological, psychological and social aspects. It will accomplish this by referring to a patient who was admitted to a surgical ward to have a below knee amputation. Furthermore with assistance of Gibbs model of reflection (1998), it will demonstrate how the student reflected on the experience of looking after this patient. In accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct (NMC, 2005) regarding safeguarding patient information no names or places will be divulged. Therefore throughout the assignment the patient will be referred to as Ron. Ron is a 42 year old gentleman and was a roofer by trade, he was fit and active until two years ago when he developed pain in his right leg, Ron was admitted for further investigations, which confirmed he had peripheral vascular disease (PVD), which was now described as critical limb ischaemia.

Clancy and McVickar (1995) define critical Limb Ischaemia or CLI is as severe obstruction of the arteries which seriously decreases blood flow to the extremities (hands, feet and legs) and has progressed to the point of severe pain and even skin ulcers or sores.

Ron is married and lives in a council house, with his wife and two children aged 14 and 16, his wife works full time, and his children are both in full time education, He now claims incapacity benefit due to the severity of his illness. Ron had been a smoker for twenty five years and admitted that his diet was poor due to fast foods.

Blood vessels are channels, arteries, veins and capillaries, which carry blood to or from all tissues. Arteries carry blood away from the heart,