Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33409373›Full record

ArticleTrauma surgery & acute care open2020

Patency of arterial repairs from wartime extremity vascular injuries.

Lauren J Haney, Esther Bae, Mary Jo V Pugh, Laurel A Copeland, Chen-Pin Wang, Daniel J MacCarthy, Megan E Amuan, Paula K Shireman

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Trauma surgery & acute care open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Lauren J HaneyLong School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Esther BaeSouth Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Mary Jo V PughVA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Laurel A CopelandVA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, Leeds, Massachusetts, USA.
Chen-Pin WangSouth Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Daniel J MacCarthySouth Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Megan E AmuanVA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Paula K ShiremanSurgery, Long School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9701-5422
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio · USUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical School · USUniversity of Utah · USVA Salt Lake City Healthcare System · US

Funding

HSRD VA I01 HX001304
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExtremity vascular injury (EVI) causes significant disability in Veterans of the Afghanistan/Iraq conflicts. Advancements in acute trauma care improved survival and decreased amputations. The study of wartime EVI has relied on successful limb salvage as a surrogate for vascular repair. We used imaging studies as a specific measure of arterial repair durability.

methodsService members with EVI were identified using the Department of Defense Trauma Registry and validated by chart abstraction. Inclusion criteria for the arterial patency subgroup included an initial repair attempt with subsequent imaging reports (duplex ultrasound, CT angiography, and angiogram) documenting initial patency.

resultsThe cohort of 527 included 140 Veterans with available imaging studies for 143 arterial repairs; median follow-up from injury time to last available imaging study was 19 months (Q1-Q3: 3-58; range: 1-175). Injury mechanism was predominantly explosions (52%) and gunshot wounds (42%). Of the 143 arterial repairs, 81% were vein grafts. Eight repairs were occluded, replaced or included in extremity amputations. One upper extremity and three transtibial late amputations were performed for chronic pain and poor function averaging 27 months (SD: 4; range: 24-32). Kaplan-Meier analysis estimated patency rates of 99%, 97%, 95%, 91% and 91% at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively, with similar results for upper and lower extremity repairs. Explosive and gunshot wound injury mechanisms had similar patency rates and upper extremity injuries repaired with vein grafts had increased patency.

conclusionsArterial repair mid-term patency in combat-related extremity injuries is excellent based on imaging studies for 143 repairs. Assertive attempts at acute limb salvage and vascular repair are justified with decisions for amputation versus limb salvage based on the overall condition of the patient and degree of concomitant nerve, orthopedic and soft tissue injuries rather than the presence of arterial injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/care management, level IV.

Indexed as

amputationextremitiesvascular system injurieswar-related injuries

Identifiers

PMID33409373
PMCPMC7768973
OpenAlexW3115796799

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.