CLI: Definition, Uses, and Clinical Overview
CLI most commonly refers to **critical limb ischemia**, a severe form of **peripheral artery disease (PAD)**. It describes **chronic, markedly reduced blood flow** to a leg or foot that can cause **rest pain, non-healing wounds, or tissue loss**. CLI is a clinical term used in **vascular medicine, cardiology, interventional cardiology, and vascular surgery**. Many clinicians now also use the updated term **chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI)** to describe the same high-risk spectrum.