Vascular Imaging is the Only Reliable Method to Exclude Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury Post Hanging or Strangulation

The incidence of vascular injury in strangulation or hanging injuries is 4.6%. In light of the reported incidence of stroke in blunt carotid injury (23%-30%) when left untreated, it is imperative that these injuries are found and treated. Based on the above data, there are no clinical or lab indicators (or combination thereof) that can be safely used to exclude an injury and avoid imaging. Thus, is it advised that all patients are imaged with a CT angiogram.