Blunt injury to the carotid or vertebral vessels (BCVI) is diagnosed in approximately 1/1000 patients hospitalized for trauma in the United States. When asymptomatic patients are screened for BCVI the incidence rises to 1% of blunt trauma patients. The majority of these injuries are diagnosed following the development of symptoms secondary to central nervous system ischemia with a resultant neurologic morbidity of up to 80% and associated mortality of up to 40%.

The Aronsborg BCVI conference gives recommendations from a Swedish/Nordic perspective.