Digital Ischemia Following Brachial Artery Cannulation in a Polytrauma Patient: A Case-Based Discussion of Etiopathogenesis and Management

Iatrogenic digital ischemia following inadvertent intra-arterial injections is well documented. Most of the culprit drugs are used for sedation or in general anesthesia. Proper understanding of the causative factors and pathophysiology is of utmost importance for adequate treatment. There have been conflicting evidences in the numerous studies and theories proposed regarding pathophysiology. We scoped the available literature to find out the cause of digital ischemia in one of the patients presented to us but could not find a convincing answer. Due to incomplete understanding of the pathophysiology, there is no specific treatment protocol. Most important is vigilance regarding risk factors, knowledge of typical medications, immediate recognition of the situation, assessment of the disease progression, anticoagulation, symptomatic treatment, and specific therapy (which varies from case to case) are mainstay of treatment. Further research is warranted to understand the etiopathogenesis so that proper treatment protocol could be established.