RAYNAUD PHENOMENON-INVESTIGATION & MANAGEMENT
SUMMARY
1. An easy test to distinguish primary from secondary Raynaud's is nailfold capillaroscopy.
2. Avoid the cold and drugs that cause vasoconstriction.
3. Smoking/tobacco use is contraindicated.
4. Treatment includes: calcium channel blockers, alpha-blockers, sildenafil, and nitroglycerin transdermal.
5. Localized digital sympathectomy: for patients who have failed medical treatment & continue to experience ischemia/necrosis.
Reference(s)
Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].