Description

Traumatic injury to the blood vessels of the abdomen can be graded using the Abdominal Vascular Organ Injury Scale.


 

Blood Vessel

Grade

non-named superior mesenteric artery branches

I

non-named superior mesenteric vein branches

I

non-named inferior mesenteric artery branches

I

non-named superior mesenteric vein branches

I

phrenic artery or vein

I

lumbar artery or vein

I

gonadal artery or vein

I

ovarian artery or vein

I

other non-named small arterial or venous structures requiring ligation

I

right, left or common hepatic artery

II

splenic artery or vein

II

right or left gastric arteries

II

gastroduodenal artery

II

inferior mesenteric artery or trunk

II

inferior mesenteric vein or trunk

II

primary named branches of the mesenteric artery

II

primary named branches of the mesenteric vein

II

other named abdominal vessels requiring ligation or repair

II

superior mesenteric vein, trunk

III

renal artery or vein

III

iliac artery or vein

III

hypogastric artery or vein

III

vena cava, infra-renal

III

superior mesenteric artery, trunk

IV

celiac axis proper

IV

vena cava, suprarenal and infrahepatic

IV

aorta, infra-renal

IV

portal vein

V

extra-parenchymal hepatic vein

V

vena cava, retrohepatic or suprahepatic

V

aorta, suprarenal and subdiaphragmatic

V

 

Additional rules for deriving final grade:

(1) If more than 1 Grade III and Grade IV injuries that involve > 50% of vessel circumference are present, then increase the final Grade by 1 (to Grade IV from Grade III; to Grade V from Grade IV).

(2) If a grade IV or Grade V injury is limited to < 25% of vessel circumference, then reduce the final Grade by 1 (to Grade III from Grade IV; to Grade IV from Grade V).

 


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