Complications of Delayed Arterial Injury After a Gun Shot Wound to the Upper Extremity: A Case Study

Abstract

Vascular trauma can be a life-threatening event. Various complications can arise when injury to an artery occurs. Thus, early diagnostic imaging may be necessary for emergency treatment. A case study is presented of a delayed arterial injury, after a gunshot wound, involving the right upper extremity. This case demonstrates the importance of continued clinical surveillance and management. Duplex sonography has been shown to have 94% to 97% sensitivity and 82.5% to 98% specificity, regarding vascular injury. This case study describes the use of duplex sonography for the identification and clinical follow-up of multiple arterial injuries that presented 1 month after the initial traumatic incident.