FREE RCIS Peripheral Vascular Procedures Questions and Answers

Question 1

A patient's Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) is calculated to be 0.65. This result is most consistent with:

Accepted Answer

Mild to moderate peripheral artery disease

Answer

The ABI is a ratio of the systolic blood pressure at the ankle to the systolic blood pressure in the arm. A normal ABI is 1.0-1.4. An ABI of 0.65 falls into the 0.41-0.90 range, which is indicative of mild to moderate peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Question 2

When performing an antegrade access for a superficial femoral artery (SFA) intervention, the common femoral artery (CFA) is punctured in which direction?

Accepted Answer

In an antegrade direction, towards the foot

Answer

Antegrade access means puncturing the artery in the direction of blood flow. For an SFA intervention, the CFA is punctured from above, directing the needle, wire, and sheath downwards into the SFA. This is in contrast to retrograde access, where the puncture is against the direction of blood flow.

Question 3

The most common cause of renal artery stenosis, which can be treated with percutaneous angioplasty and stenting, is:

Accepted Answer

Atherosclerosis

Answer

Atherosclerosis is by far the most common cause of renal artery stenosis, accounting for approximately 90% of cases. It typically affects the ostium and proximal segment of the renal artery. Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a less common, non-atherosclerotic cause, often seen in younger female patients.

Question 4

During a lower extremity peripheral intervention, the patient suddenly complains of severe, acute pain in the foot, which appears pale and cold. This is most likely a sign of:

Accepted Answer

Distal embolization

Answer

Acute distal embolization is a known complication of peripheral interventions. Plaque or thrombus can be dislodged during ballooning or stenting and travel downstream, occluding smaller vessels in the foot. This leads to acute limb ischemia, characterized by the '6 Ps': pain, pallor, pulselessness, poikilothermia (coldness), paresthesia, and paralysis.

Question 5

What is the primary purpose of using an embolic protection device (EPD) during a carotid artery stenting procedure?

Accepted Answer

To capture embolic debris and prevent stroke

Answer

The primary goal of an EPD, such as a filter or a balloon occlusion system, is to prevent procedural emboli from traveling to the brain. During angioplasty and stenting of the carotid artery, atherosclerotic debris can be dislodged. The EPD is deployed distal to the lesion to capture this debris, thereby reducing the risk of periprocedural stroke.

RCIS - Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist Practice Test

RCIS - Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist Practice Test

FREE RCIS Peripheral Vascular Procedures Questions and Answers