Peripheral circulation

NCLEX-PN
Reduction of Risk Potential
Drag and drop
Difficulty 3 of 5

Question

A nurse checks circulation in an adult client’s legs. Sort these independent observations by whether they are expected or unexpected.

Expected

Both pedal pulses are present and equal
Warm, dry skin on both feet

Unexpected

New swelling of one leg
A newly absent pedal pulse

Answer

Expected: Both pedal pulses are present and equal; Warm, dry skin on both feet · Unexpected: New swelling of one leg; A newly absent pedal pulse

Rationale

Warm, dry skin and equal pulses on both sides are expected findings. Absent pulses and new or worsening edema are unexpected findings.

RememberCheck both limbs for pulses, temperature and swelling.

Sources

Sources marked “Adapted from” are licensed under CC BY 4.0. We changed the material: its facts are rewritten into an original question, answer options and rationale. The original authors and publishers do not endorse SwipeExam.

Adapted from Open RN Nursing Skills, 2nd edition: Chapter 9 Cardiovascular Assessment Open RN (Chippewa Valley Technical College) · License: CC BY 4.0 · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · CARDIOVASCULAR ASSESSMENT › Expected Versus Unexpected Findings · 2nd edition, 2023

Last verified: November 4, 2026 2 independent automated checks Question rn-rrp-02744, version 1

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