| 摘要 |
A 61‑year‑old female presented to the emergency department with unusual pain and progressive numbness along the left forearm that had developed following her dialysis session 3 hours before. Diabetic nephropathy contributed to her
end‑stage renal disease and hemodialysis was maintained via her forearm arteriovenous fistula for more than 2 years. She received aspirin and clopidogrel for her coronary ischemia and had no known history of coagulation disorders. Her dialysis regimens were free of anticoagulants. Smooth
cannulation was exhibited under area puncture technique.
At the emergency department, the area of cannulation was swollen, ecchymotic, and bullous, and the left hand was cyanotic and cold [Figure 1a]. Physical examinations showed tense left forearm muscle and paresthesias of the left hand. Her blood and coagulation parameters were within normal limit (leukocyte: 5.56 × 103/μL; hemoglobin: 11.3 g/dL; platelet: 174 × 103/μL; prothrombin time: 10 s; and activated partial thromboplastin time: 47.8s).
She received computed tomographic angiography, which revealed a hematoma deriving from her arteriovenous fistula without other vascular abnormalities. We performed emergent fasciotomy for the acute compartment syndrome.
A subcutaneous hematoma (the asterisk) originated from the dialysis cannulation hole was observed with the extension of the subfascial layer [Figure 1b]. Inappropriate postdialytic hemostasis led to this troublesome complication. Cyanosis and paresthesias of her hand recovered immediately after the fasciotomy. The arteriovenous fistula was ligated simultaneously. She discharged without sequelae 10 days after admission. Since the follow‑up sonographies revealed insufficient blood flow of the arteriovenous fistula, an
alternative artificial graft was reconstructed 3 months later.
Compartment syndrome occurs when elevated pressure within a muscle group compromises the circulation and function of the distal tissues. Given the bleeding diathesis resulting from uremia, polypharmacy affecting coagulation and frequent vascular procedures in patients undergoing hemodialysis,[1] vascular access surgeries, dialysis cannulations, and traumas have been reported causing acute compartment syndrome in this vulnerable population.[2,3] It is a clinical diagnosis based on the patients’ symptoms and signs rather than their compartment pressure measurements.[4] Missed or delayed diagnosis results in miserable outcomes. Surgeons could not only prevent this devastating situation by thorough preoperative evaluation and cautious access establishment, but also provide timely decompressive fasciotomy for the
prevention of neuromuscular deficit and extremity loss.[5]
Declaration of patient consent
The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent forms. In the form the patient has given her consent for her images and other clinical information to be reported in the journal. The patient understands that her name and initials will not be published and due efforts will be made to conceal her identity, but anonymity cannot be guaranteed. |
