Vascular trauma in the Amazon: updating the challenge

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Vascular trauma management requires understanding epidemiological factors for improved outcomes.
• Previous studies from this institution provide a baseline for comparative analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze epidemiological data of patients undergoing surgery for vascular trauma.
• To identify risk factors associated with mortality in vascular trauma patients.
• To compare current findings with historical data from the same referral hospital.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analytical study of patients operated for vascular injuries from March 2013 to March 2017.
• Analysis of demographic data, injury mechanisms, lesion location, transport distance, treatment, and complications.
• Multivariate and logistic regression analyses to determine significant predictors of mortality.

Main Results:

• Study included 288 patients with 430 vascular lesions; 92.7% were male, predominantly aged 25-49.
• Firearm projectiles were the most common cause (47.2%), with upper and lower limbs most frequently affected.
• Mortality rate was 7.93%, with 6.9% requiring amputation; 52.8% hospitalized for ≤7 days.

Conclusions:

• Distances over 200km correlated with prolonged hospitalization and increased amputation likelihood.
• Arterial injuries, and vascular trauma in cervical and thoracic regions were significantly associated with increased mortality risk.