Acute limb ischaemia

Abstract

Acute limb ischaemia (ALI) is a disease that carries with it a high morbidity and mortality. It is a time-critical disease process; the best outcomes are seen when patients are rapidly diagnosed and referred immediately to a vascular surgery unit. Unfortunately, if the diagnosis is missed or delayed, this puts the patient at high risk of irreversible limb loss and amputation. The aim of this article is to cover the aetiology, diagnosis and management of ALI, mainly from a primary care level, along with secondary care management options.