Peripheral Arterial Injuries from Penetrating Trauma

Abstract

Although the incidence of penetrating trauma varies widely between countries and geographic settings, it still represents a minority of overall trauma volume seen in even the busiest inner-city trauma centers. The majority of traumatic peripheral vascular injuries (50–90 %) are due to penetrating mechanisms, but these remain relatively uncommon injuries in the civilian environment. The relative infrequency of peripheral vascular injuries, particularly at any single center, results in a very limited body of experience in evaluation and management of these injuries among trauma and vascular surgeons. This is particularly concerning given the potential for mortality and devastating morbidity if these injuries are not readily identified and properly managed. Having a well-thought-out and systematic approach that takes into account the vascular injury as well as the associated injuries and other patient factors can go a long way toward making up for a lack of personal experience.