Management and outcomes of firearm-related vascular injuries

Abstract

Background: Violence due to firearms is a major global public health issue and vascular injuries from firearms are particularly lethal. The aim of this study was to analyse population-based epidemiology of firearm-related vascular injuries.

Methods: This was a retrospective nationwide epidemiological study including all patients with firearm injuries from the national Swedish Trauma Registry (SweTrau) from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2019. There were 71,879 trauma patients registered during the study period, of which 1010 patients were identified with firearm injuries (1.4%), and 162 (16.0%) patients with at least one firearm-related vascular injury.

Results: There were 162 patients admitted with 238 firearm-related vascular injuries, 96.9% men (n = 157), median age 26.0 years [IQR 22-33]. There was an increase in vascular firearm injuries over time (P < 0.005). The most common anatomical vascular injury location was lower extremity (41.7%) followed by abdomen (18.9%) and chest (18.9%). The dominating vascular injuries were common femoral artery (17.6%, 42/238), superficial femoral artery (7.1%, 17/238), and iliac artery (7.1%, 17/238). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 90 mmHg or no palpable radial pulse in the emergency department was seen in 37.7% (58/154) of patients. The most common vascular injuries in this cohort with hemodynamic instability were thoracic aorta 16.5% (16/97), femoral artery 10.3% (10/97), inferior vena cava 7.2% (7/97), lung vessels 6.2% (6/97) and iliac vessels 5.2% (5/97). There were 156 registered vascular surgery procedures including vascular suturing (22%, 34/156) and bypass/interposition graft (21%, 32/156). Endovascular stent was placed in five patients (3.2%). The 30-day and 90-day mortality was 29.9% (50/162) and 33.3% (54/162), respectively. Most deaths (79.6%; 43/54) were within 24-h of injury. In the multivariate regression analysis, vascular injury to chest (P < 0.001) or abdomen (P = 0.002) and injury specifically to thoracic aorta (P < 0.001) or femoral artery (P = 0.022) were associated with 24-h mortality.

Conclusions: Firearm-related vascular injuries caused significant morbidity and mortality. The lower extremity was the most common injury location but vascular injuries to chest and abdomen were most lethal. Improved early hemorrhage control strategies seem critical for better outcome.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Firearm injury; Gunshot wound; Vascular injury.

Fig. 1

Distribution of vascular firearm injuries and firearm injuries overall between 2011 and 2019. There was an increase in vascular firearm injuries over time (P = 0.005)