HealthInfo Canterbury
Acute limb ischaemia
Mate rehu ohotata iti ā-tinana
Important
Acute limb ischaemia is a medical emergency. If you think you have the symptoms of acute limb ischaemia, go to the hospital's emergency department.
The typical symptoms of acute limb ischaemia are referred to as the "six P’s”:
- pain – your limb is painful, even when at rest
- pale – your skin is pale or mottled
- pulse – your limb doesn't have a pulse
- perishing cold – your limb feels cold
- pins and needles
- paralysis – you can't move the limb.
Acute limb ischaemia (isc-ee-mi-a) is the sudden lack of blood supply to an arm or leg. It's most commonly caused by a blood clot in an artery.
This is usually caused by peripheral vascular disease. Rarely, acute limb ischaemia can be caused by aortic dissection or an injury.
Diagnosing acute limb ischaemia
Your general practice team will examine your arm or leg and ask you questions about your health. If they think you have acute limb ischaemia, they'll arrange for you to go to hospital to see a vascular specialist (a surgical doctor who specialises in blood vessels).
In hospital, they may arrange tests like a CT scan, a doppler ultrasound or a duplex ultrasound.
Treating acute limb ischaemia
Acute limb ischaemia is usually treated by surgery. The surgery might be:
- angioplasty, where the surgeon inflates a tiny balloon in your artery causing it to widen, and possibly fits a stent (a small plastic or metal tube) to keep your artery open
- arterial bypass, where the surgeon redirects the blood flow around the blockage
- embolectomy, where the surgeon inserts a catheter into your blood vessel and removes the clot by suction.
Your doctor might prescribe medication to dissolve the clot.
Acute limb ischaemia is treatable, but the treatment shouldn't be delayed. Without prompt treatment, acute limb ischaemia can develop into critical limb ischaemia.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed August 2022.
SourcesReview key: HIBLV-403653
