Iatrogenic compartment syndrome: a comparative case report

We present a comparative case report of three patients presenting with iatrogenic acute compartment syndrome (ACS). The first case is a 74-year-old woman with a 2-day-old multifragment fracture of the proximal humerus who developed ACS after paravenous application of contrast material during computed tomography (CT) pulmonary angiography. The second case is a 69-year-old woman who developed ACS following paravenous saline solution with noradrenaline while undergoing carotid endarterectomy. The third case is a 74-year-old woman with a fully developed ACS after paravenous application of contrast material during CT angiography of the abdomen. The first patient was treated conservatively. The second was treated surgically with skin incisions of the hand; no fasciotomy was required as the fluid was removed rapidly, preventing the full development of ACS. A hand fasciotomy was performed on the third patient. All patients recovered rapidly with no permanent damage.