Journal of Emergency Practice and Trauma

Compartment syndrome as a result of incorrect treatment

Document Type : Case Report

Authors

Seyyed Mahdi Mirhamidi 1
Davood Soroosh 2
Alireza Abadi 3
Elahe Fahimi 3

1 Department of Orthopedic, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran

2 Department of Forensic Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran

3 Department of Emergency Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran

https://doi.org/10.15171/jept.2018.09
Abstract
Compartment syndrome is a rare vascular disorder and an orthopedic emergency caused by high intramuscular pressure following bone fractures and some other etiologies. It mostly involves extremities, but can affect other parts of the body. The syndrome is diagnosed based on extensively varying signs and symptoms including feeling pain, pallor, pulselessness, and some other signs among patients. It causes irreversible complications that may even lead to death in some cases. If not treated promptly, muscle and nerve necrosis, myoglobinuria, and ultimately extremity gangrene and renal failure may occur. Timely diagnosis requires close attention to patient’s signs and symptoms and repeated measurements of pressure in the compartment. The reported case was an 11-year-old girl suffering from a closed double fracture in her forearm following blunt trauma. Inappropriate treatment done by a local therapist resulted in compartment syndrome. The aim of this study was to obtain an accurate knowledge on it and to do timely action when facing with this syndrome.

Keywords

Compartment syndrome
Volkmann’s syndrome
treatment
Complications
Subjects
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Journal of Emergency Practice and Trauma
Volume 5, Issue 2
July 2019
Pages 75-77

  • Receive Date 23 April 2018
  • Revise Date 21 June 2018
  • Accept Date 22 June 2018

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