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FRACTURES AND DISLOCATIONS COMPLICATED BY DISTAL ISCHAEMIA
Author(s) -
COLE W. G.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1975.tb111259.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ischemia , surgery , cardiology
A prospective study of 13 patients with distal ischaemia complicating fractures and dislocation was made. The results showed that, when normal circulation was restored within six hours of injury, there were no signs of residual ischaemic tissue damage. With more prolonged delays, the residual tissue damage was severe. Delay in the patient's arrival at St Vincent's Hospital was the major reason for the inability to obtain excellent results in all cases in which normal circulation was restored to ischaemic limbs. To obtain excellent results limb ischaemia should be diagnosed at the first examination, and if it is present, the patient should be transported to the nearest suitable hospital and treatment to restore the circulation and skeletal stability of the affected limb commenced.