Vascular trauma in New Zealand: an 11-year review of NZVASC, the New Zealand Society of Vascular Surgeons' audit database.
OBJECTIVE
To describe vascular trauma in New Zealand: its management and early outcomes.


METHODS
Patients suffering vascular trauma between January 1993 and December 2003 were analysed using data collected prospectively by the New Zealand Society of Vascular Surgeons' database (NZVASC).


RESULTS
There were 549 cases of vascular trauma amongst 45,759 vascular admissions collected by the database in the 11-year period. This study confirmed the findings in international studies that younger adult males were more likely to suffer vascular trauma. Elderly patients, especially females, were most at risk of iatrogenic vascular injury, which accounted for 22% of cases in this study. Complication rates reported by rural vascular surgeons in New Zealand were comparable to results in the main centres and to international reports.


CONCLUSIONS
While programmes to slow down and sober up road users help reduce injuries in the younger age groups, it lies in the hands of our own profession to reduce the iatrogenic injuries in the older patients.
Section of Surgery, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. ian.thomson@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Ian
I
Thomson
Geoff
G
Muduioa
Andrew
A
Gray
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019992:Databases as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery