Military vascular injuries in Croatia.

A single-centre experience of military vascular injuries in the recent conflict in Yugoslavia is reviewed. From 1 April to 13 December 1991, 1020 casualties were admitted to the Surgical Clinic at the Teaching Faculty of the University in Zagreb, Croatia. A total of 120 injured blood vessels in 76 patients were treated in the department of vascular surgery. Casualties were transported to the hospital after treatment by forward surgical facilities. The transportation time ranged from 3 to 18 (mean 7) h. The most common injuries were to the popliteal artery (12.5%) and brachial veins (10.0%). After segmental resection, arterial and venous revascularization with saphenous vein graft interposition was the preferred option. Twenty-six fasciotomies were performed because of compartment syndrome. Indications for six amputations included sepsis, deep vein thrombosis and extensive myonecrosis. Concomitant bone fractures were stabilized by an external fixator in 90.4% of cases. Vascular injuries were repaired before orthopaedic stabilization. Completion arteriography was used to delineate concomitant distal lesions.

Capillary refill test--a possible auxiliary diagnostic method in obliterative arteriosclerosis.

Values of capillary refill time (CRT) were used for evaluation of skin microcirculation in the lower extremities severed by arteriosclerotic disease. The authors examined 133 extremities in 83 arteriosclerotic patients and 84 extremities of 50 healthy volunteers as a control group. To define the stage of the disease, walking distance, rest pain, level of arterial occlusion and the ankle/arm Doppler index (AAI) were considered. On each leg CRT was measured three times on the foot dorsum and pulp of the hallux. The mean value was calculated. The capillary refill index (CRI) was defined from the values of CRT as a proportion of compression time and time of skin recolouration. Twenty three extremities were examined before and after surgical treatment. The results suggest that values of CRI lower than 0.80 may be considered pathological. In advanced forms of the disease, low values of CRI were found in a significant number of extremities (p less than 0.01). A correlation was found among AAI, walking distance and CRI (r = 0.50). An extremely low CRI (under 0.55) was found on extremities without palpable femoral pulsations. After operation, a significant increase of CRI was observed (p less than 0.01).