Arterial Vs Venous Ulcers

Venous ulcers usually occur medially above the malleolus, with irregular borders, moderate exudate, and surrounding hemosiderin staining. Arterial ulcers often sit on toes/heels/shins, are punched-out, painful especially when elevated, with pale bases and diminished pulses. Nursing priorities include perfusion assessment, appropriate dressings, offloading, and referral patterns. Why it matters for nursing care: Arterial vs Venous Ulcers requires early recognition, careful trend assessment, and rapid prioritization when the patient begins to deteriorate. Clinical decisions should connect the underlying pathophysiology to the bedside picture so the nurse can distinguish a stable finding from a red flag that changes urgency, monitoring frequency, and provider communication. Exam relevance: NCLEX punishes elevating legs for pure arterial ischemic pain when the stem describes critical limb ischemia without clarifying mixed disease — follow comfort positioning per orders. It rewards ABI and vascular consult themes. The topic is encountered across common nursing settings such as the emergency department, medical-surgical units, telemetry, critical care, perioperative areas, community follow-up, and discharge teaching. A strong answer does not memorize isolated facts; it explains why a finding is clinically important, how nursing...