Vascular trauma in civilian practice

Twenty patients suffered iatrogenic trauma [Median age 61 years], including cardiac intervention [7], radiological intervention [7], laparoscopy [2], surgical operations [3] and intra arterial injection [1]. Twelve patients had accidental trauma [Median age 23 years]. Eight patients sustained blunt trauma; road traffic accident [6], fall from height [2] and four penetrating injuries [stabbing to axilla, femoral triangle, popliteal fossa, left iliac fossa]. Three of eight patients with blunt trauma were referred for vascular assessment before orthopedic intervention. In four cases, an initial orthopedic operation was performed before recognition that vascular problem existed, one case postoperative after orthopedic operation had failed to improve limb perfusion. A variety of vascular techniques were used to treat the injuries, one patient died postoperatively and one underwent major limb amputation. From this study, it can be concluded that iatrogenic vascular injuries represented about [60%] and accidental trauma [40%] and most of iatrogenic injuries as a result of invasive diagnostic or therapeutic vascular procedure and cardiac catheter injuries were more extensive than other injuries