Acute limb ischaemia | |
---|---|
Other names | Acute limb ischemia |
Acute embolism to the right femoral artery resulting in ischemia | |
Symptoms | Cold, painful, pulseless limb that cannot move |
Causes | Embolism, thrombosis |
Treatment | Thrombectomy, embolectomy, thrombolysis |
Medication | Thrombolytic drugs |
Acute limb ischaemia (ALI) occurs when there is a sudden lack of blood flow to a limb,[1] within 14 days of symptoms onset.[2] It is different from another condition which is more chronic (more than 14 days)[3] called critical limb ischemia (CLD). CLD is the end stage of peripheral vascular disease where there is still some collateral circulation (alternate circulation pathways} that bring some blood (but inadequate) to the distal parts of the limbs.[2] While limbs in both acute and chronic limb ischemia may be pulseless, a chronically ischemic limb is typically warm and pink due to a well-developed collateral artery network and does not need emergency intervention to avoid limb loss.[4]
Acute limb ischaemia is caused by embolism or thrombosis, or rarely by dissection or trauma.[5] Thrombosis is usually caused by peripheral vascular disease (atherosclerotic disease that leads to blood vessel blockage), while an embolism is usually of cardiac origin.[6] In the United States, ALI is estimated to occur in 14 out of every 100,000 people per year.[7] With proper surgical care, acute limb ischaemia is a highly treatable condition; however, delayed treatment (beyond 6 to 12 hours) can result in permanent disability, amputation, and/or death.
The New Latin term ischaemia as written, is a British version of the word ischemia, and stems from the Greek terms ischein 'to hold'; and haima 'blood'.[8] In this sense, ischaemia refers to the inhibition of blood flow to/through the limb.
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