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Acute leg ischaemia in Gloucestershire
B Davies1, B D Braithwaite, P A Birch
1Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, UK.
The British Journal of Surgery
|April 1, 1997
Summary
Acute leg ischaemia affects 1 in 7000 people annually. Prompt surgical or thrombolysis treatment achieved a 78% limb salvage rate in this county audit.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Acute leg ischaemia presents a significant threat to both life and limb.
- Understanding its incidence and outcomes is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence and outcomes of acute leg ischaemia.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of current management strategies in a defined geographical area.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, multisource data collection over a 1-year period (1994).
- Inclusion of hospital and general practice records for patients in Gloucestershire (population 540,000).
Main Results:
- Identified 77 patients with 84 events of acute leg ischaemia (incidence 1:7000/year).
- Active treatment (surgery, angioplasty, thrombolysis) for 64 events resulted in 78% limb salvage, 6% amputation, and 16% mortality at 30 days.
Conclusions:
- Vascular surgeons manage nearly all acute leg ischaemia cases in Gloucestershire.
- An integrated approach combining surgery and peripheral thrombolysis yields high limb salvage rates (78%) for suitable patients.