S45: Injury of blood vessels at shoulder and upper arm level

S45.0: Injury of axillary artery

Arteries are blood vessels that transport blood away from the heart. They supply all the tissue in the body with oxygen-rich blood. You can feel your arteries in certain parts of your arm. You can then feel how fast your pulse is.

You have an injury to an artery in your armpit.

When a blood vessel is damaged, there is usually bleeding. Arteries can bleed very heavily. You can then lose a lot of blood very quickly. If the bleeding is heavy, blood may collect in the tissue. You can then have arm pain. When there is bleeding below the skin, a bruise sometimes forms.