Extremity trauma

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Background

  • Can result in soft tissue, neurovascular, muscular, and ligamentous damage

Clinical Features

Limb salvage is based of several features (See calculator below):

  • Age
  • Severity of skeletal and soft tissue injury
  • Severity of limb ischemia
  • Duration of limb ischemia
  • Severity of shock

Differential Diagnosis

Extremity trauma

Evaluation

Workup

  • ATLS
  • X-rays
  • Trauma labs with close attention to K, Creat, and CK
  • Consider CTA or conventional angiography if evidence for vascular compromise

Management

  • ATLS protocols if unstable
  • Consider use of tourniquet
    • Can be an excellent adjunct to control bleeding
  • Tetanus
  • Antibiotics
  • Additional treatments depending on specific findings

Disposition

  • May require admission with trauma team with consultation from ortho and/or vascular surgery

See Also

External Links

References