Diagnosis and management of penetrating vascular trauma and the injured extremity

Early diagnosis and timely treatment of extremity vascular injuries are essential if limb salvage and limb function are to be optimized. Careful and repeated clinical examination and ankle/brachial doppler indices are pivotal for early diagnosis. Routine arteriography for proximity injury is neither cost effective nor clinically indicated and minimal 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 compartment syndrome is stressed.