ABI in trauma

Hello! I work in a level 3 trauma ed (transitioning to a level 2). Yesterday our chief trauma surgeon said he wants the nurses to get education on ABI's in traumas, and our ED director is questioning the need for it. Does anyone out there use this, and is it helpful if so?

Thanks!!

Sara

As in ankle-brachial index? I don't work in a trauma ED, so I'm curious to know if trauma centers use this. It seems to me, knowing the exact ABI is not really necessary--you would just want to know if there is a pulse and cap refill (i.e. perfusion), and that the ABI can come later. As I said, not a trauma nurse (and if you meant some other ABI, sorry).

From the Medscape.com (free registration required) article Ankle-Brachial Index Measurement:

…In the trauma setting, an ABI less than 0.90 has been shown to have a sensitivity exceeding 87% and a specificity exceeding 97% for identifying lower-extremity arterial injury.

and

In the emergency or trauma setting, an ABI is useful for the evaluation of a patient who is at increased risk for lower-extremity arterial injury, as follows:

• An ABI less than 0.90 suggests a need for further vascular imaging: angiography in a stable patient, and operative exploration in an unstable patient

• An ABI greater than 0.90 decreases the likelihood of an arterial injury; thus, the patient may be observed with serial ABI assessments or may undergo a vascular study on a delayed basis

From the Medscape.com (free registration required) article Ankle-Brachial Index Measurement

Very interesting. Thanks for posting!