Lower Leg Assessments
Lower Leg Assessments are tools utilized by a nurse who is specifically trained to complete both an ankle-brachial index (ABI) and toe-brachial index (TBI) to gain a further understanding of how well a patient’s circulation is functioning in their lower legs. The nurse will complete a blood pressure on both arms, both ankles, and both big toes on a patient. Once these numbers are gathered, a calculation is completed and the numbers are recorded for the doctor to assess. The nurse will assess skin integrity, temperature, pain, sensation, and circulation of an individual and then report findings to the appropriate physician for further direction. The results of this examination allow physicians to make clinical decisions appropriate for each individual patient, and may result in further intervention such as compression stockings or referrals to specialists.