Traumatic injury to the blood vessels of the extremities can be graded using the Peripheral Vascular Organ Injury Scale.
Blood Vessel |
Grade |
digital artery or vein |
I |
palmar artery or vein |
I |
deep palmar artery or vein |
I |
dorsalis pedis artery |
I |
plantar artery or vein |
I |
non-named artery or vein |
I |
basilic or cephalic vein |
II |
saphenous vein |
II |
radial artery |
II |
ulnar artery |
II |
axillary vein |
III |
superficial or deep femoral vein |
III |
popliteal vein |
III |
brachial artery |
III |
anterior tibial artery |
III |
posterior tibial artery |
III |
peroneal artery |
III |
tibioperoneal trunk |
III |
superficial or deep femoral artery |
IV |
popliteal artery |
IV |
axillary artery |
V |
common femoral artery |
V |
Additional rules for deriving final grade:
(1) If more than 1 Grade III and Grade IV injuries that involve > 50% of vessel circumference are present, then increase the final Grade by 1 (to Grade IV from Grade III; to Grade V from Grade IV).
(2) If a grade IV or Grade V injury is limited to < 25% of vessel circumference, then reduce the final Grade by 1 (to Grade III from Grade IV; to Grade IV from Grade V).
Specialty: Surgery, orthopedic, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Surgery, general, Cardiology
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