Interventional management of stab wounds

Advances in interventional radiology (IR) and endovascular techniques have revolutionised the treatment of patients presenting with stab wounds and other penetrating injuries. As a major teaching hospital, level 1 trauma centre and one of the largest tertiary vascular centres in the UK, we receive many stable and unstable patients following serious trauma. These patients present with a number of complex problems including penetrating injuries. Interventional radiologists are an integral part of the trauma team providing crucial care to this group of patients.

Prompt imaging with dual-phase, contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT), Bastion protocol, allows accurate assessment of the extent of the injuries and helps guide subsequent patient management. Consultant interventional radiologists are often the first reader of the trauma CT while the rest of the IR team are preparing the IR suite, thus allowing them to establish a diagnosis as well as initiate immediate treatment where appropriate. This helps to reduce delays in treatment which could otherwise have a detrimental impact on patient care.

We adopt a multidisciplinary approach in the management of trauma patients, working closely with the various clinical teams to achieve the best outcomes for our patients. In this review we describe two patients who were admitted to our institution following penetrating injuries who were managed using IR techniques.

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