A patient presents complaining of severe pain and "burning" in an extremity. You note that the extremity is pale and cool to the touch. You cannot appreciate a palpable pulsation. Which of the following diagnostic modalities will identify the source of this patient's problem in approximately 95% of cases?
A. chest x-ray
B. echocardiogram
C. angiogram
D. abdominal flat plate
E. aortic ultrasound
Answer: C
Aortic angiogram
Angiogram is the "gold standard" for occlusion of an arterial vessel
Know Your Content Blueprint
Arterial occlusions are covered as part of the PANCE Cardiology Blueprint
Review Topic: Arterial embolism/thrombosis