The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) released a position statement on the use of endovascular procedures for treating individuals with traumatic injuries in the March issue of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
The society assembled a multidisciplinary panel comprising experts in the fields of interventional radiology, trauma surgery, orthopedic surgery, and vascular surgery to prepare its position statement, which offers recommendations for the application of endovascular procedures based on the organs affected by trauma (JVIR, March 2020, Vol. 31:3, pp. 363-369).
SIR's position statement also lists several parameters that trauma centers should meet before offering endovascular procedures for traumatic injury cases, including the following:
- Have 24-hour access to an interventional angiography facility.
- Have specialists who can perform large- and small-vessel endovascular interventions.
- Be able to have a team be ready to perform an endovascular procedure within 60 minutes from the time the intervention is deemed necessary.
- Be able to adhere to evidence-based algorithms for different trauma scenarios for pediatric and adult patients.
"Endovascular intervention plays a critical role in the care of the trauma patient, improving survival, reducing morbidity, and decreasing blood loss," SIR President Dr. Laura Findeiss noted in a statement. "When delivered promptly, it is highly effective in treating bleeds throughout the body, including in the liver, spleen, kidneys, and pelvis -- saving lives and saving function."
