Experience with civilian vascular injuries in eastern Nigeria.

Accidents and trauma are the most common causes of death in the young Nigerian male. Due to inadequate facilities for recovering the injured, patients with major vascular injuries fail to reach the hospital alive. The incidence of vascular injury in the Nigerian population should be higher than is reflected in this study. Late presentation to the hospital results in the greater number of patients with traumatic aneurysms. Improvement in ambulance and hospital services for the injured will facilitate earlier detection and treatment of vascular injuries, improve the mortality rate, and limit the late sequelae of vascular injuries.