Raynaud's disease: patient education as a primary nursing intervention

The terms Raynaud's disease and Raynaud's phenomenon are often used interchangeably to identify two distinct disease states that initially appear with similar symptoms but then have very different sequelae. Triggered primarily by cold weather, both conditions commonly result in a vasospastic response predominantly observed in the fingers and toes. A review of the relevant health care literature indicates that there is little, if any, information available on Raynaud's disease that would be of particular and specific interest to the nursing profession. So that they can provide appropriate patient teaching, nurses need to be familiar with the precipitating factors, signs and symptoms, evaluation methods, and treatments of Raynaud's disease. This article focuses specifically on Raynaud's disease, which affects many women but relatively few men. A historic perspective on this disease state is provided, and postulated pathophysiologic mechanisms for the onset of this condition are addressed. The patient who is experiencing symptoms of this disease may have complaints of pain and numbness particularly in the fingers. The nurse's primary role is patient education so that the onset of symptoms associated with this disease can be identified and minimized. A discussion of nursing implications with a focus on teaching is provided. A case study is presented of a patient with Raynaud's disease, which will serve to highlight and expound on key information provided throughout the text of this article.