Arterial vs. Venous Ulcers: How to Differentiate and Treat

Course Description

Lower extremity wounds are extremely common in the United States, affecting approximately 13% of the population.  Understanding the difference between arterial and venous wounds is imperative for health care professionals, as the treatments are vastly different and the wrong treatment can be potentially limb- and life-threatening.  Frequently, patients exhibit signs of both arterial and venous wounds which can make treatment even more challenging, requiring the health care professional to determine what diagnosis is the priority to treat first.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Define characteristics of arterial, venous and mixed etiology wounds.
• Identify risk factors for arterial, venous and mixed etiology wounds.
• Describe tests to determine arterial and venous insufficiency.
• Identify appropriate treatments for arterial and venous wounds, including dressings and physical therapy options.
• Describe surgical interventions for arterial and venous wounds.

• Prerequisites

  None

• Educational Level

  Basic

• Other

  Satisfactory completion of this course will require the participant to respond to polling questions asked throughout the webinar.