Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
1991-3-4
pubmed:abstractText
During the last decade (1980 to 1989) 186 patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm were admitted to a single urban hospital. Ninety-six percent of these patients had a prehospital systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg. Management included paramedic field resuscitation and transport, an emergency department diagnostic protocol completed in an average of 12 minutes, rapid transport to a dedicated emergency operating room, aneurysmorrhaphy by general surgery chief residents under the supervision of specialist vascular surgeons, and skilled postoperative intensive care unit care. Nevertheless, 130 (70%) patients died in the first 30 postoperative days--3% in the emergency department, 13% in the operating room, 51% in the intensive care unit, and 3% on the ward or at home. Certain features--age greater than 80 years, female gender, persistent preoperative hypotension despite aggressive crystalloid and blood replacement, admission hematocrit less than 25, transfusion requirements exceeding 15 units--were associated with a greater than 90% likelihood of death. No patient with preoperative cardiac arrest survived more than 24 hours. From this experience we conclude that, although "optimal" prehospital, emergency department, operating room, and postoperative care can improve the outcome of patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms in shock, most such patients will die. Certain clinical features predict such excessive mortality rates after ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms that withholding operation may be reasonable. Screening of patients at high risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm, followed by elective aneurysmorrhaphy, is clearly indicated.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
0741-5214
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
13
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
240-5; discussion 245-7
pubmed:dateRevised
2004-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1991
pubmed:articleTitle
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: the Harborview experience.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Surgery, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98104.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article