Acute Ischemia of the Left Upper Limb Secondary to Accidental Arterial Puncture During Venipuncture

Abstract

Venipuncture, a common and low-risk procedure, can present rare serious complications such as distal ischemia due to embolic, thrombotic, or anatomical mechanisms. A 62-year-old woman with no history of thrombotic events presented with a purplish discoloration of the fingertips, accompanied by paresthesia of the left upper limb, after venipuncture. Doppler examination confirmed thrombosis of the left brachial artery secondary to vascular trauma caused by the venipuncture procedure, for which an embolectomy was performed, with subsequent restoration of blood flow and limb function without sequelae. Discussion: Vascular thrombosis, based on Virchow's Triad, is a rare complication of minimally invasive procedures such as venipuncture. Acute limb ischemia, diagnosed using Pratt's “6P”, indicates that a multidisciplinary approach of the endovascular and surgical type must be carried out, all this in order to achieve early action and prevention, which is crucial to preserve the viability of the affected limb.