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Epidemiology of Acute Critical Limb Ischemia

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Critical Limb Ischemia

Abstract

Acute limb ischemia (ALI) is defined as any sudden decrease in limb perfusion causing a potential threat to limb viability (Norgren et al., J Vasc Surg 45:S5–67, 2007). The incidence of ALI is 9–16 cases per 100,000 persons per year for the lower extremity (Creager et al., N Engl J Med 366:2198–2206, 2012; Dryjski and Swedenborg, J Cardiovasc Surg 25:518–522, 1984; Davies et al., Br J Surg 84:504–508, 1997) and around 1–3 cases per 100,000 persons per year for the upper extremity (Eyers and Earnshaw, Br J Surg 85:1340–1346, 1998). Etiology includes embolism, in situ thrombosis with coexisting peripheral arterial disease (PAD), graft/stent thrombosis, trauma, or peripheral aneurysm with embolism or thrombosis. ALI management makes up 10–16 % of the vascular workload for the average vascular specialist. Amputation and mortality rates are historically high in these patients, however, with advances in anticoagulation and surgical therapy that have decreased over time.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Vascular Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Martyn Knowles MD

  2. Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5909 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390-9157, USA

    Carlos H. Timaran MD

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  1. Martyn Knowles MD
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  2. Carlos H. Timaran MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA

    Robert S. Dieter

  2. Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, USA

    Raymond A. Dieter, Jr

  3. The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

    Raymond A. Dieter, III

  4. West Virginia University, Charleston, West Virginia, USA

    Aravinda Nanjundappa

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Knowles, M., Timaran, C.H. (2017). Epidemiology of Acute Critical Limb Ischemia. In: Dieter, R., Dieter, Jr, R., Dieter, III, R., Nanjundappa, A. (eds) Critical Limb Ischemia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31991-9_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31991-9_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31989-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31991-9

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