ABSTRACT
A patient may present with a sudden onset of a painful, cold, pulseless limb. This represents a surgical emergency. The patient should be referred immediately to hospital, should undergo investigations and then undergo procedures to restore the circulation. When the blood supply to a limb becomes occluded suddenly, the patient will develop severe pain, initially in the foot, spreading back through the leg. They may complain that the foot is cold, it may feel numb, and it will certainly look pale. A comparison with the other leg may be made. Some patients may occlude the circulation to both limbs simultaneously (saddle embolus).
