Diagnostic possibilities in case of injury to the main vessels of the extremities

Trauma in both peacetime and wartime is always accompanied by difficulty in diagnosis. Complications that develop when trying to preserve the affected limb lead to an increase in mortality of up to 15%. The incidence of septic complications in patients with vascular injury increases by 30–40%. Aim: the purpose of this study was to determine the information content and specificity of diagnostic methods in patients who were exposed to traumatic effects with high kinetic energy and resulted in injury to the main vessels. Materials and methods: we used the entire range of instrumental diagnostics at the stage of specialized care, including an innovative assessment of the viability of muscle tissue using ultrasound diagnostics. Results: the results of computed tomography, both native and contrast, selective angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, scintigraphy, fluorescent angiography, laser Doppler flowmetry, thermography, duplex vascular scanning and energy Doppler with microcirculation studies were analyzed. The positive aspects of each technique are revealed. Conclusion: radiation diagnostics using X-ray contrast agents is the gold standard in the examination of patients with major vascular injury, but in a critical patient condition, it is important to have methods in your arsenal that allow you to assess the blood supply to the limb and the degree of ischemic damage to the muscle tissue with minimal trauma.