上腕動脈損傷の診断に難渋しショックが遷延した多発外傷の１救命例

Abstract

A 68-year-old man was carried by an ambulance presenting with partial traumatic amputation of both legs as a result of a railway accident. The hypovolemic shocked patient arrived at the hospital, with potential right tension pneumothorax. Immediate decompression by tube thoracotomy was performed, however the shock state did not improve. Repeated focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) and careful physical examination of the patient revealed no abdominal injuries. Pelvic fracture was not identified with the pelvic X-ray. The partially amputated legs were removed in the emergency department. In spite of these procedures, the hypovolemic shock persisted. However, a wound in the region of the right humerus, which was not bleeding during the initial examination, developed hemorrhage upon later investigation. The circulatory status of the patient stabilized after the wound was packed with gauze packing for hemostasis. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft inter-position of the injured artery and fasciotomy of the right forearm were subsequently performed. The postoperative course was uneventful, and rehabilitation was begun on the 15th post-operative day. Thus, even in a patient with blunt trauma, arterial injuries of the extremities should never be underestimated during the initial assessment.