In a patient with PAD causing claudication, if the pain after 5 minutes of walking cannot be diverted, what claudication scale ranking would this be?

In the context of a patient with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) who experiences claudication, the claudication scale is used to categorize the severity of the symptoms. If a patient cannot divert their pain after walking for 5 minutes, this indicates a significant level of discomfort and functional limitation.

A claudication scale ranking of 3 typically indicates that the patient has moderate claudication, where pain occurs quickly (in this case, after 5 minutes of walking), and it is severe enough that the individual cannot continue walking nor easily distract from the pain. This level of claudication signifies that walking is significantly restricted and that assistance or rest is needed to alleviate the pain.

In comparison, the lower rankings on the claudication scale, such as 1 or 2, would describe pain that is either minimal or can be distracted from, thus not representing the debilitating nature of the symptoms being experienced. Therefore, a ranking of 3 accurately reflects the intensity and impact of the pain experienced by the patient in your scenario.