DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF PENETRATING VASCULAR TRAUMA AND THE INJURED EXTREMITY

Early diagnosis and timely treatment of extremity vascular injuries ar e essential if limb salvage and limb function are to be optimized. Car eful and repeated clinical examination and ankle/brachial doppler indi ces are pivotal for early diagnosis. Routine arteriography for proximi ty injury is neither cost effective nor clinically indicated and minim al non-occlusive arterial injuries do not require vascular repair. An algorithm for the diagnostic evaluation and treatment of patients with penetrating extremity trauma is presented. The early diagnosis of com partment syndrome is stressed.