CCI - Cardiovascular Credentialing International Peripheral Venous Evaluation Questions and Answers

Question 1

A sonographer performing a lower extremity venous duplex exam on a patient with unilateral leg swelling obtains a continuous, non-phasic Doppler waveform from the left common femoral vein.
The right common femoral vein displays a normal phasic waveform.
This finding is most suggestive of which condition?

Accepted Answer

Obstruction in the left iliac vein or inferior vena cava

Answer

Normal variant in a shallow breather

Answer

Acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the ipsilateral popliteal vein

Answer

Extrinsic compression of the contralateral iliac vein

Question 2

During a venous reflux study, the sonographer documents retrograde flow in the great saphenous vein (GSV) that lasts for 950 milliseconds following distal augmentation. How should this finding be classified?

Accepted Answer

Pathologic superficial venous reflux

Answer

Normal valvular function

Answer

Severe deep venous reflux

Answer

Equivocal for reflux

Question 3

Which of the following is considered the most reliable and primary sonographic criterion for diagnosing an acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT)?

Accepted Answer

Lack of complete coaptation of the vein walls with transducer pressure

Answer

Visualization of echogenic material within the vein lumen

Answer

Absence of spontaneous flow on spectral Doppler

Answer

Enlarged vein diameter compared to the adjacent artery

Question 4

A patient is referred for a peripheral venous evaluation due to a high clinical suspicion for DVT. The factors contributing to thrombus formation, known as Virchow's Triad, consist of which of the following three elements?

Accepted Answer

Venous stasis, endothelial injury, and hypercoagulability

Answer

Arterial stenosis, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia

Answer

Valvular incompetence, venous dilation, and chronic inflammation

Answer

Lymphedema, obesity, and arterial insufficiency

Question 5

When scanning the popliteal fossa from a posterior approach, what is the typical anatomical relationship between the popliteal vein and the popliteal artery on the ultrasound screen?

Accepted Answer

The vein is superficial (closer to the transducer) to the artery

Answer

The vein is lateral to the artery

Answer

The vein is deep (further from the transducer) to the artery

Answer

The artery is not visible in this view

Question 6

A sonographer asks a patient to perform the Valsalva maneuver during a venous insufficiency study while interrogating the saphenofemoral junction. What is the primary purpose of this technique?

Accepted Answer

To increase intra-abdominal pressure and test for valvular competence

Answer

To assess for deep vein thrombosis in the iliac veins

Answer

To increase arterial inflow to the lower extremities

Answer

To decrease the heart rate and improve Doppler signal quality