title: Pediatric blunt vertebral artery injury: case report and treatment plan.
abstract: Aggressive screening for blunt cerebrovascular injuries in patients with trauma has led to the identification and successful treatment of these injuries. We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who sustained a vertebral artery injury after a motor vehicle collision. Computed tomography angiogram showed an 8-mm thrombosed segment of the vertebral artery. The patient was initially anticoagulated with a heparin drip and transitioned over to treatment with enoxaparin sodium (Lovenox). With few reports in the literature of blunt cerebrovascular injuries in the pediatric population, a review of the appropriate screening parameters, treatment plans, and follow-up is helpful for the practicing physician.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Denver Health Medical Center and the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Denver, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Louis Seitz
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Brunworth
authors.forename: C Clay
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cothren
authors.forename: G Edward
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Kimm
authors.forename: Walter L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Biffl
authors.forename: Ernest E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000465:Algorithms; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D017984:Enoxaparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000293:injuries*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D017984:Enoxaparin