Vascular injuries: Aetiology, presentation and management outcomes at a tertiary hospital in Lagos, Nigeria.

Abstract

This retrospective study covered the period from January 2015 to December 2021. Information of interest were extracted from the medical records of each participant. The results from the data analysis were presented in charts and tables. Seventy-four patients aged 15-78 years (mean 32.30 ± 13.75 years) were included in this study. The male-to-female ratio was 3.6:1. The most common causes were gunshot injury, road traffic accident and iatrogenic injuries. The mean duration from injury to presentation was 9.85 h and mean duration from presentation to restoration of flow was 7.3 h. The most common injured artery was the femoral artery, whereas the most common vein was inferior vena cava. Primary vascular repair was done in majority of the cases. Amputation was performed in 18.9% with loss of viability of the limb. Vascular injury though relatively uncommon remains a challenging and life-threatening disease predominantly in young adult males. Urgent intervention prevents limb loss and mortality. Favourable outcome is accomplished by improving emergency healthcare delivery and well-equipped vascular centres with adequately trained personnel in the nation's hospitals.