Factors Influencing the Outcome of Arterial Injuries

Abstract

This is a retrospective study carried during January 1999 to December 1999 at North Surgical ward, Mayo Hospital, Lahore. Eighty-two patients were received during this period. Of these 70 were male and 12 were females. Age ranged from 6 to 60 years with mean age of 24 years. At the time of presentation 22 patients were in a stable condition and 60 in a state of shock. Sixty-eight patients had penetrating injuries, as compared to 14 with blunt trauma. The most common vessel injured was superficial femoral (18), followed by common femoral (17), popliteal (8) and brachial (8). The commonest repair performed was end-to-end anastomosis (19) followed by reverse vein graft (13) Thirty one patients had 58 different complications. Fifty percent patients had either single compartment or multiple compartment fasciotomies. Five patients required amputation. Mobility was 37.8% and mortality was 3.7%. The higher incidence of morbidity and mortality was due to shotgun injuries, late presentation, poor resuscitation at referral centers and poor patient selection for vascular repair.