27-year-old Man in Surgery — 27yo Man | Orthopedics | SMLE Q#2564

SMLE Question #2564

Surgery Orthopedics

Objective: OBJ-316

Last updated: January 2026
A 27-year-old man presents to the emergency department 4 hours after a crush injury to his left lower leg in a road traffic accident. His vital signs are: T: 37.1 °C, BP: 128/76 mmHg, HR: 102/min, RR: 18/min, SpO2: 98% on room air. He reports severe, worsening pain out of proportion to the injury and intense paresthesia in the web space between his first and second toes. On examination, the leg is tense and pale, and passive stretching of the toes causes marked pain. Distal pulses are present but weak. X-ray of the leg shows displaced fractures of the tibia and fibula. Measurement of intracompartmental pressure reveals 35 mmHg. What is the most appropriate next step in management?

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