- Establish if the symptoms are of a sudden onset
- Determination the exact duration (time of onset) and severity of symptoms (6 Ps -detailed below)
- Look for underlying aetiology (cardiac disease, trauma, risk factors for atherosclerosis)
- Ascertain fitness for intervention
The classical symptoms of acute limb ischaemia are:
- Pain – an early symptom, quite severe and constant
- Pallor (noted on inspection)
- Perishingly cold (on palpation)
- Pulselessness (palpate peripheral pulses) – usually these patients have normal pulses in the unaffected limb
- Paraesthesia (an early symptom) – affecting distal part of limb
- Paralysis (usually a late symptom and suggests advanced ischaemia)
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