Description

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).

 


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