Pandemic disease is the spread of an illness across a vast geographic area, with a prevalence that transcends a singular country or continent, but extends across the entire globe. By comparison, an epidemic is the spread of an illness across…
The pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) is a physical object creating a conundrum. Since its introduction in the 1970s, the PAC has been simultaneously hailed for its ability to provide physiologic data not easily obtainable by other means and condemned as…
Trauma is a leading cause of death for those aged 1 to 46 years and the third overall leading cause of death for all ages in the United States. Trauma accounts for nearly 10% of all deaths and 16% of…
Penetrating arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are a rare complication of vascular injuries; consequently, few trauma surgeons and trauma centers have significant experience with their management. Most series have been reported during wartime and/or prior to the advent of well-developed vascular surgical…
Vascular injuries in branch vessels of the popliteal artery such as the tibioperoneal trunk and shank vessels such as anterior, posterior tibial, and peroneal vessels occur with variable frequency in both blunt and penetrating trauma. While their management has evolved…
Historical perspective In 1906, José Goyanes from Spain first resected a traumatic popliteal artery aneurysm and used the adjacent popliteal vein to reconstruct the popliteal artery with an interposition graft. He is thus credited with the description of the first…
Injury to the iliac vessels poses a serious and frustrating treatment dilemma for all trauma surgeons. Throughout both civilian and military history injuries to the iliac vessels have been devastating, due to the often uncontrollable hemorrhage and severe associated injuries…
Reports of arterial injuries from both the civilian and military arenas report the brachial artery as the most frequently injured vessel, accounting for approximately 25% to 33% of all peripheral arterial injuries. The frequency of injury is similar in some…
Axillary vessel injuries are uncommon and challenging injuries encountered by trauma surgeons. Proximity of this vessel to other adjacent veins including the axillary vein, brachial plexus, and the osseous structures of the shoulder and upper arm account for a large…
Thoracic and thoracic-related vascular injuries represent complex challenges for the trauma surgeon. Subclavian vessel injuries, in particular, are uncommon and highly lethal. Regardless of the mechanism, such injuries can result in significant morbidity and frequent fatality. Subclavian vessel injuries are…