ankles are purple... how to doc?

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I know this might seem like a dumb question, but we're just learning how to document findings. My resident has edematous, dry, and very purple ankles. How do I document that (the color)? I asked my instructor and his answer was "how ever you think is correct". I don't KNOW what is correct nor do I have any clue, since I have no medical background whatsoever. I know what NOT to put (cyanotic, pink, etc). I'm stuck on the purple thing - do I just chart as "purple"??

Thanks to anyone for suggestions. :)

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

Chart exactly what you see. Cyanotic is blue. Pink is pink. Purple is purple. Or you can say purplish.

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Chart exactly what you see. Cyanotic is blue. Pink is pink. Purple is purple. Or you can say purplish.

Thank you. I just wasn't sure if there was a term for purple, like there is for blue (cyanotic). I used purple. :)

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

I've used purple before too. It is what it is.

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I know this might seem like a dumb question, but we're just learning how to document findings. My resident has edematous, dry, and very purple ankles. How do I document that (the color)? I asked my instructor and his answer was "how ever you think is correct". I don't KNOW what is correct nor do I have any clue, since I have no medical background whatsoever. I know what NOT to put (cyanotic, pink, etc). I'm stuck on the purple thing - do I just chart as "purple"??

Thanks to anyone for suggestions. :)

Our instructor has us put purple but in a parentheses we put something common to associate the shade of purple like (eggplant) to denote a deep dark purple (lavender) for a pale almost translucent purple (grape) also for dark if you are not familiar with eggplant.

Or something like purplish-black---- purplish blue ---- purplish red--- those terms are a little more descriptive for the physician or other staff who need to check on the area noted.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.

Purples purple. Our instructors taught us to document what we see and although we should know what the medical terms are and mean it doesn't mean that a lot of nurses remember especially if it is a word that is rarely seen.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

i just had a thought to check my copy of roget's college thesaurus to see what other words could be used in place of "purple" and this is what it lists:

  • amaranth
  • amethyst
  • argyle
  • aubergine
  • bokhara
  • campanula
  • clematis
  • dahlia
  • damson
  • fuchsia
  • grape
  • gridelin
  • heliotrope
  • hyacinth
  • lavender
  • lilac
  • magenta
  • mauve
  • mansignor
  • mulberry
  • orchid
  • pansy
  • periwinkle
  • phlox
  • plum
  • prune
  • puce
  • raisin
  • raspberry
  • rubine
  • solferino
  • tulip
  • violet

aren't you almost sorry you asked? i don't want to get anyone into the wrong state of attitude, but, honestly? the only time that i can think of that your charting is going to be of any great importance (beside to your nursing instructor) is if there is a lawsuit and the description of this patient's ankles is at the heart of the case. the lawyers will scrutinize what you wrote and question you about it. otherwise, it's really a picayune subject. only someone who is really anal retentive or has a gripe against you would rake you over the coals on this if it were an employee issue, in which case i'd seriously reconsider why i was working at the place under the supervision of that kind of person. honestly.

all in all, this was a thought-provoking question.

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LOL Thanks, Daytonite. All I really wondered is if there was a medical term for "purple" like there is for "blue". (cyanotic) But that was interesting!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

What's funny about this is that purple stuff is probably going to pop up all throughout your career now. You will end up being the expert on charting the color purple--I'm not kidding. Watch and see!

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What's funny about this is that purple stuff is probably going to pop up all throughout your career now. You will end up being the expert on charting the color purple--I'm not kidding. Watch and see!

LOL Daytonite! That would be so funny!

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Specializes in Nursing Home ,Dementia Care,Neurology..

I'm interested,do you write out peripheral cyanosis on your care plan?

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
i'm interested,do you write out peripheral cyanosis on your care plan?

peripheral cyanosis would be an abnormal assessment item and therefore a defining characteristic or symptom. it would be used on a care plan as a symptom or defining characteristic and be the target of goals or outcomes and nursing interventions.

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