Glasgow Aneurysm Score as a predictor of immediate outcome after surgery for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to assess the value of the Glasgow Aneurysm Score in predicting postoperative death after repair of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). METHODS: Between 1991 and 1999, 836 patients underwent surgery for ruptured AAA. Their operative risk at presentation was evaluated retrospectively using the Glasgow Aneurysm Score, based on data from the nationwide Finnvasc registry. RESULTS: The operative mortality rate was 47.2 per cent (395 of 836); 164 patients (19.6 per cent) had cardiac complications and 164 (19.6 per cent) required intensive care treatment for more than 5 days. Predictors of postoperative death in univariate analysis were: coronary artery disease (P = 0.005), preoperative shock (P < 0.001), age (P < 0.001), and the Glasgow Aneurysm Score (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis the predictors were: preoperative shock (odds ratio (OR) 2.13 (95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 1.45 to 3.11); P < 0.001) and the Glasgow Aneurysm Score (for an increase of ten units: OR 1.81 (95 per cent c.i. 1.54 to 2.12); P < 0.001). Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curves showed that the best cut-off value of the Glasgow Aneurysm Score in predicting postoperative death was 84 (area under the curve 0.75 (95 per cent c.i. 0.72 to 0.78), standard error 0.17; P < 0.001). The operative mortality rate was 28.2 per cent (114 of 404) in patients with a Glasgow Aneurysm Score of 84 or less, compared with 65.0 per cent (281 of 432) in those with a score greater than 84 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The Glasgow Aneurysm Score predicted postoperative death after repair of ruptured AAA in this series.     

Preoperative spirometry predicts perioperative pulmonary complications after major vascular surgery.

This study determined utility of preoperative spirometry for prediction of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) defined as pneumonia, ventilator dependence greater than 48 hours, and adult respiratory distress syndrome in 147 patients undergoing vascular surgery from June 1988 through March 1990 [39 aortic aneurysm repairs, 21 carotid procedures, and 87 operations for occlusive disease including aorto-ileofemoral, infra-inguinal, and visceral]. The incidence of PPC was 12.9 per cent, while cardiac complications (myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and ventricular arrhythmias) were present in 9.8 per cent. Prior or current smoking, which was present in 80 per cent, was not predictive of PPC. FEV1 was 2.2 +/- 0.7 L/s (mean +/- 1 SD). Abnormal FEV1 (2.0 or less L/s) was present in 42 per cent (n = 62). For FEV1 of 2.0 or less, PPC rate was 22.5 per cent versus 5.8 per cent for FEV1 greater than 2.0 L/s (P less than 0.005, Fisher exact). The incidence of PPC was 30.7 per cent for aortic aneurysm repair, 8.0 per cent for occlusive disease, and 4.7 per cent for carotid procedures. Abdominal aortic procedures (performed in 67 patients: 39 for aortic aneurysm repair and 28 for aortoiliac occlusive disease) were associated with a PPC rate of 22.4 per cent versus 5.0 per cent for "nonabdominal" procedures (P less than 0.002, Fisher exact). Life table analysis after surgery demonstrated decreased survival for patients with PPC (P = 0.031, Mantel-Haensel) during follow-up (250 +/- 165 days). PPC are associated with abnormal FEV1 and abdominal vascular procedures. In conclusion, preoperative spirometry is useful for the prediction of PPC after vascular surgery.     

Equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography prior to elective abdominal aortic surgery

Equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography (ERNA) was employed preoperatively in 183 patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic reconstruction to measure left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and to detect abnormal regional wall movement. Abnormal ejection fractions were virtually confined to the 97 patients who had clinical, electrocardiographic or radiographic evidence of heart disease. An operative mortality of 8.7% was recorded. Major cardiac events (defined as myocardial infarction, cardiac failure or malignant ventricular arrhythmia) occurred in 15 of 86 abdominal aortic aneurysm patients (17.4%) and six of 96 (6.25%) patients with aorto-iliac occlusive disease. Patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm and abnormal LVEF or regional wall motion abnormality were more likely to suffer a cardiac event (p less than 0.001), the event rate exceeding 60% in patients whose LVEF was less than 35%. An abnormal LVEF failed to predict a cardiac event in patients with aorto-iliac occlusive disease. While not indicated in patients lacking clinical evidence of heart disease, ERNA can refine the assessment of cardiac risk, particularly in patients with previous myocardial infarction and define a high risk group in whom aortic reconstruction should be avoided except for the most compelling of indications.     

Significance of mildly elevated creatine kinase (myocardial band) activity after elective abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy

The clinical significance of mildly elevated creatine kinase (CK) myocardial band (MB) enzyme levels in patients undergoing elective repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm was evaluated retrospectively in 348 patients. For each patient, preoperative and postoperative electrocardiograms (ECGs) were interpreted blindly for left ventricular hypertrophy, ST segment abnormality, left bundle branch block, right bundle branch block, left axis deviation, atrial fibrillation, T wave abnormality, and Q waves. A total of 107 patients (31%) had postoperative CK-MB elevations of trace or greater; 37 had trace, 35 had 1% to 4%, and 35 had greater than or equal to 5% elevation. There was no difference in survival between those with trace and no CK-MB elevation. Patients with increased CK-MB (greater than or equal to 1%) values were more likely to have ECG abnormalities. The following ECG (either preoperative or postoperative) abnormalities were univariately related to decreased postoperative survival: left ventricular hypertrophy (P less than 0.001), ST segment abnormalities (P less than 0.001), left bundle branch block (P less than 0.001), the combination of right bundle branch block and left axis deviation (P = 0.006), Q wave infarction (P less than 0.001), and atrial fibrillation (P less than 0.001). There were 15 in-hospital deaths, and 333 patients were discharged and followed-up for a median of 4.6 years. There were 97 posthospitalization deaths, 61% of which were due to cardiac causes. Overall survival was associated with the degree of CK-MB elevation; the higher the CK-MB, the worse the survival.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Glasgow Aneurysm Score predicts survival after endovascular stenting of abdominal aortic aneurysm in patients from the EUROSTAR registry

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Glasgow Aneurysm Score (GAS) in predicting the survival of 5498 patients who underwent endovascular repair (EVAR) of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and were enrolled in the EUROpean collaborators on Stent-graft Techniques for abdominal aortic Aneurysm Repair (EUROSTAR) Registry between October 1996 and March 2005. METHODS: The GAS was calculated in patients who underwent EVAR and was correlated to outcome measurements. RESULTS: The median GAS was 78.8 (interquartile range 71.9-86.4, mean 79.2). Tertile 30-day mortality rates were 1.1 per cent for patients with a GAS less than 74.4, 2.1 per cent for those with a score between 74.4 and 83.6, and 5.3 per cent for patients with a score over 83.6 (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that GAS was an independent predictor of postoperative death (P < 0.001). The receiver-operator characteristic curve showed that the GAS had an area under the curve of 0.70 (95 per cent confidence interval 0.66 to 0.74; s.e. 0.02; P < 0.001) for predicting immediate postoperative death. At its best cut-off value of 86.6, it had a sensitivity of 56.1 per cent, specificity 76.2 per cent and accuracy 75.6 per cent. Multivariable analysis showed that overall survival was significantly different among the tertiles of the GAS (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The GAS was effective in predicting outcome after EVAR. Because its efficacy has also been shown in patients undergoing open repair of AAA, it can be used to aid decisions about treatment in all patients with an AAA.     

Abdominal aortic aneurysm as an incidental finding in abdominal ultrasonography

The difference between the mortality rate from ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (overall mortality rate 85-95 per cent and operative mortality rate 23-63 per cent), and that for elective aneurysm repair (less than 5 per cent) is dramatic. Awareness of the existence of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is therefore essential. Of 1800 consecutive patients aged greater than or equal to 50 years referred for their first abdominal ultrasonography, 113 who had been referred specifically for suspected abdominal aortic aneurysm or vascular screening were excluded. The remaining 1687 patients (693 men and 994 women) form the study group. Apart from the symptom-directed examination, the entire abdomen of every patient was routinely studied by ultrasonography. The definition of an abdominal aortic aneurysm was a local dilatation of the aorta with an anteroposterior diameter greater than 30 mm or greater than 1.5 times the anteroposterior diameter of the proximal aorta. In 82 cases (4.9 per cent) an abdominal aortic aneurysm was disclosed; 61 were in men (8.8 per cent) and 21 were in women (2.1 per cent). The prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm as an incidental finding in men aged greater than or equal to 60 years was 11.4 per cent. In every patient aged greater than or equal to 50 years undergoing their first abdominal ultrasonography examination, the aorta should be screened for the presence of an aneurysm.     

The role of central haemodynamic monitoring in abdominal aortic surgery. A prospective randomised study

To test the hypothesis that central haemodynamic monitoring is not necessary in all patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery, a prospective randomised study in 40 consecutive patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic surgery was carried out. Patients with unstable angina, recent myocardial infarction (less than or equal to 6 months), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 0.50 were excluded. Twenty-one patients had perioperative central haemodynamic monitoring while 19 patients had central venous pressure monitoring alone. Parameters studied included, perioperative haemodynamics and fluid balance, perioperative cardiac drug administration, operation time and clamp time, postoperative renal function, incidence of postoperative ventilation and line complications, duration of hospital and ICU stay, and 30 day postoperative outcome. Results obtained were compared with a high risk group of patients (LVEF less than 0.50) undergoing similar surgery. Statistical analysis failed to show any difference in outcome for any variable measured in either low risk group. All serious postoperative cardiac complications occurred in patients with LVEF less than 0.50 (P less than 0.0001). These data suggest that patients with LVEF greater than or equal to 0.50 are at low risk of developing postoperative cardiac complications and can be successfully managed perioperatively without the added potential risks and costs of central haemodynamic monitoring.     

Does the clinical evaluation of the cardiac status predict outcome in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms?

A cost-effective method to reduce mortality rates after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair centers on selecting and investigating only those patients at risk for cardiac-related death. All 146 patients undergoing asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm repair over a 5-year period (1986 to 1990) were retrospectively placed into one of the three following groups on the basis of a clinical evaluation. Group I: no history of myocardial infarction or angina, no congestive heart failure, and no ischemic changes on electrocardiogram (ECG). Group II: history of myocardial infarction or class I-II angina or ischemic changes on ECG. Group III: presence of congestive heart failure or class III-IV angina. Patients in group I had no further cardiac work-up; patients in group II with angina had left ventricular ejection fraction assessment by multiple gated acquisition (all greater than 37%) and were cleared for operation by a cardiologist; patients in group II without angina had no further cardiac work-up; patients in group III had coronary angiography and then coronary revascularization. The overall mortality rate was 4.8%, with a cardiac mortality rate of 3.4%. The mortality rate in group I (n = 64) was 1.8%, with no cardiac-related deaths; the mortality rate in group II (n = 63) was 9.5% (8% cardiac-related deaths). No deaths occurred in group III (n = 19). The difference between the cardiac mortality rates in groups I and II was significant (p = 0.02) as was the postoperative cardiac morbidity: total myocardial infarctions (p less than 0.001); congestive heart failure (p = 0.02); tachyarrhythmias (p = 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Final 12-year follow-up of surgery versus surveillance in the UK Small Aneurysm Trial

BACKGROUND: The aim was to determine whether early open surgical repair would benefit patients with small abdominal aortic aneurysm compared with surveillance on long-term follow-up. METHODS: The 1090 patients who were enrolled into the UK Small Aneurysm Trial between 1991 and 1995 were followed up for aneurysm repair and mortality until November 2005. RESULTS: By November 2005, 714 patients (65.5 per cent) had died, 929 (85.2 per cent) had undergone aneurysm repair, 150 (13.8 per cent) had died without aneurysm repair and 11 (1.0 per cent) remained alive without aneurysm repair. After 12 years, mortality in the surgery and surveillance groups was 63.9 and 67.3 per cent respectively, unadjusted hazard ratio 0.90 (P = 0.139). Three-quarters of the surveillance group eventually had aneurysm repair, with a 30-day elective mortality of 6.3 per cent (versus 5.0 per cent in the early surgery group, P = 0.366). Estimates suggested that the cost of treatment was 17 per cent higher in the early surgery group, with a mean difference of 1326 pounds. The death rate in these patients was about twice that in the population matched for age and sex. CONCLUSION: There was no long-term survival benefit of early elective open repair of small abdominal aortic aneurysms. Even after successful aneurysm repair, the mortality among these patients was higher than in the general population.     

Coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass for high-risk patients

Between January 1991 and June 1993, coronary artery bypass grafting was performed without either cardiopulmonary bypass or cardiac arrest in 23 patients. Most patients had several surgical risk factors, including age ⩾ 70 years, poor left ventricular function, left main coronary artery stenosis, chronic renal failure, and aortic aneurysm. Distal anastomoses were made under temporary interruption of coronary flow. A total of 37 distal anastomoses to the left anterior descending coronary artery and/or right coronary artery (mean 1.6 per patient) were made, 24 of which were internal thoracic arteries. The coronary occlusion time ranged from 7–14 min (mean 9.8 min). Combined cardiac or vascular operations were carried out in six patients (abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, thoracic aortic aneurysm repair, carotid endarterectomy, and coronary endarterectomy). There was one hospital death. Postoperative angiography was performed in 22 patients and showed a patency rate of 89%. In summary, coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass may improve the postoperative outcome of high-risk patients.     

Impact of renal dysfunction on operative mortality following endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery

BACKGROUND: Preoperative renal dysfunction is a significant risk factor for death after open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. The aim of this study was to determine whether renal dysfunction also affected mortality after endovascular aneurysm repair. METHODS: Patients from the EUROSTAR registry were stratified into two groups: 4198 with normal renal function (creatinine less than 133 micromol/ml) and 969 with renal dysfunction (serum creatinine more than 133 micromol/ml). Patient characteristics and postoperative complications in the two groups were compared and the effect of renal dysfunction on operative mortality was analysed by multivariable regression models. RESULTS: Patients with renal dysfunction had significantly more co-morbidities, including cardiac and pulmonary impairment. Thirty-day mortality was significantly higher in the group with renal dysfunction (6.2 versus 2.0 per cent; P<0.001). A significant increase in mortality (5.5 per cent) was also seen in patients with moderate renal dysfunction (serum creatinine 133-265 micromol/ml). After adjustment for age and other risk factors, renal dysfunction was still an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality (odds ratio 2.3, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.6 to 3.3; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Renal dysfunction was a significant and independent risk factor for death after endovascular aneurysm repair.     

Risk factors for postoperative death following elective surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm: results from the UK Small Aneurysm Trial. On behalf of the UK Small Aneurysm Trial participants

BACKGROUND: In regional and population studies, the mortality rate within 30 days of elective surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm is approximately 8 per cent. Identification of preoperative factors associated with this mortality risk is important for informing surgical policy and may suggest suitable preoperative interventions. METHODS: In the UK Small Aneurysm Trial, 820 patients aged 60-80 years underwent elective open surgical repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The relationship between 30-day mortality rate and 13 prespecified potential prognostic factors was investigated. The value of a published clinical prediction rule was also evaluated. RESULTS: The postoperative mortality rate was 5.6 per cent overall (46 deaths in 820 patients). Postoperative mortality risk was significantly associated with older age (P = 0. 03), higher serum creatinine level (P = 0.002) and lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (P = 0.003) in univariate analyses. Evidence of a relationship between age and postoperative death was weakened (P = 0.08) after adjustment for creatinine level and FEV1. The predicted postoperative mortality risk ranged from 2.7 per cent in younger patients with below average creatinine levels and above average FEV1, to 7.8 per cent in older patients with above average creatinine levels and below average FEV1. The published clinical prediction rule did not validate well on these data; observed risk did not correlate with predicted risk except for a small group of high-risk patients. CONCLUSION: Poor preoperative lung and renal function was strongly associated with postoperative death. Age was less important once these two important prognostic factors had been taken into account. The potential for preoperative improvement in lung and renal function to reduce postoperative mortality rates should be addressed in future studies.     

Mid-term survival after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery predicted by cardiopulmonary exercise testing

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) testing measures how efficiently subjects meet increased metabolic demand. This study aimed to determine whether preoperative CPX testing predicted postoperative survival following elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. METHODS: Some 130 patients had CPX testing before elective open AAA repair. Additional preoperative, operative and postoperative variables were recorded prospectively. Median follow-up was 35 months. The correlation of variables with survival was assessed by single and multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: CPX testing identified 30 of 130 patients who had been unfit before surgery. Two years after surgery the Kaplan-Meier survival estimate was 55 per cent for the 30 unfit patients, compared with 97 per cent for the 100 fit patients. The absolute difference in survival between these two groups at 2 years was 42 (95 per cent confidence interval 18 to 65) per cent (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Preoperative CPX testing, combined with simple co-morbidity scoring, identified patients unlikely to survive in the mid-term, even after successful AAA repair.     

Assessment of myocardial function before aortic surgery by radionuclide angiocardiography

A consecutive series of 41 patients undergoing elective aortic surgery had pre-operative assessment of cardiac function by radionuclide angiocardiography. Their subsequent progress was monitored. There were 4 patients whose pre-operative left ventricular ejection fraction was less than 30 per cent and 3 of these patients died of cardiac failure postoperatively. There was only 1 death from cardiac failure amongst the 37 patients whose pre-operative left ventricular ejection fraction was less than 30 per cent. Radionuclide angiocardiography is an accurate indicator of myocardial function of patients before major aortic surgery.     

Results from coronary artery bypass surgery combined abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVE: Complication from coronary artery disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. We report our results from coronary artery bypass surgery performed in combination with abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in patients with coronary artery disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm, each being an indication for an emergency operation. METHODS: Seventeen patients underwent combined coronary artery bypass surgery and abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. The mean age of the patients was 67.6 +/- 5.2 years. Four had left main disease, 8 patients had triple-vessel disease, and 12 had a prior myocardial infarction. The average left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.49 +/- 0.13. The average abdominal aortic aneurysm diameter was 6.2 +/- 1.0 cm (range 4.5-8.0 cm). Thirteen patients underwent coronary artery bypass surgery followed by abdominal aortic aneurysm repair after discontinuation of cardiopulmonary bypass. In the remaining four patients, including one patient with severe left ventricular dysfunction, cardiopulmonary bypass was continued as a circulatory assist until the abdominal aortic aneurysm repair was completed. The left internal thoracic artery was used in 14 patients, and the right internal thoracic artery in one patient. RESULTS: Postoperative surgical complications occurred in three patients (bleeding in one patient requiring reoperation, abdominal subcutaneous wound infection in another and transient neural disorder in the others). There were no surgical or in-hospital death. There was no late cardiac complication and no late cardiac death after a mean of 29 months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that combined surgery was reasonable for selected patients with combined coronary artery disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm, each of which is an indication for an urgent operation. The aortic aneurysm repair during cardiopulmonary bypass for patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction was safe and effective.     

Conventional repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm in the high-risk patient: a plea for abandonment of nonresective treatment

Recent reports in the literature have promulgated nonresective treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm as a safer procedure than conventional aneurysmectomy with graft replacement in high-risk patients. This review of 106 high-risk patients who underwent conventional aneurysm repair between 1980 and 1985 was undertaken to compare the relative risks, perioperative morbidity, and operative mortality of these patients to that reported for patients treated by nonresective therapy. Excluded were those patients who had rupture initially or underwent a concomitant renovascular procedure. Patients were considered to be at high risk if they met one or more of the following criteria: age equal to or greater than 85 years; receiving oxygen at home, PO2 less than 50 torr, or forced midexpiratory flow less than 25% of predicted; serum creatinine equal to or greater than 3 mg/dl; biopsy-proven cirrhosis with ascites; retroperitoneal fibrosis; or New York Heart Association functional class III-IV angina, left ventricular ejection fraction less than 30%, recent congestive heart failure, complex ventricular ectopy, large left ventricular aneurysm, severe valvular disease, recurrent congestive heart failure or angina after coronary artery bypass grafting, or severe unreconstructed coronary artery disease confirmed by angiography. The mortality rate for conventional aneurysm repair in high-risk patients was 5.7%, compared with a reported 7% mortality rate for nonresective therapy. In those patients with severe cardiac dysfunction, intraoperative pharmacologic manipulation and the selective use of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation appeared helpful in achieving survival.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

In-hospital mortality from abdominal aortic surgery in Great Britain and Ireland: Vascular Anaesthesia Society audit

BACKGROUND: The mortality rate associated with elective aortic aneurysm repair is widely assumed to be in the region of 5 per cent. This figure does not take into consideration the effect of pre-existing risk factors. The Vascular Anaesthesia Society of Great Britain and Ireland conducted a large audit to estimate the in-hospital mortality rate associated with non-emergency infrarenal aortic surgery throughout the British Isles, and to determine the influence of risk factors on mortality rate. METHODS: This was a multicentre, prospective audit of 177 hospitals throughout the UK and Ireland. Data were collected by questionnaire to include all patients undergoing elective or urgent surgery for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm or aortoiliac occlusive disease over 4 months. RESULTS: Nine hundred and thirty-three patients were recruited into the audit. The overall mortality rate was 7.3 per cent. Factors increasing the risk of death by up to fivefold included age over 74 years, urgent surgery, operation for occlusive disease, limited exercise capacity, a history of severe angina or cardiac failure, the presence of ventricular ectopics and abnormalities suggesting ischaemic heart disease on electrocardiography. CONCLUSION: Although the in-hospital mortality rate was similar to previously published figures, the rate increased considerably when commonly encountered risk factors were present.     

Abdominal pain: a surgical audit of 1190 emergency admissions

In an audit of 1190 emergency admissions with abdominal pain (1166 patients) in a general surgical unit, the diagnosis was non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP) in 415 (35 per cent), acute appendicitis in 200 (17 per cent) and intestinal obstruction in 176 (15 per cent). The largest number of admissions occurred in the age groups 10-29 years (31 per cent) and 60-79 years (29 per cent). Surgical operations were performed in 551 patients (47 per cent) and there was a 16 per cent incidence of unnecessary appendicectomy (22 per cent in the age group 20-29 years). Fifty-one deaths resulted in a 30-day hospital mortality rate of 4.4 per cent and a perioperative mortality rate of 8 per cent. The mortality rate increased significantly in patients aged greater than or equal to 60 years, and patients aged 80-89 years had a perioperative mortality rate of 20 per cent. The causes of perioperative death included laparotomy for inoperable disease (28 per cent), ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (23 per cent), perforated peptic ulcer (16 per cent) and colonic resections (14 per cent). The perioperative mortality rates for ruptured aneurysm and perforated ulcer were 71 and 23 per cent respectively. The duration of inpatient stay increased significantly with the age of the patients, including those with NSAP. The results of the study indicate a need to review the methods of management of ruptured aortic aneurysm and perforated peptic ulcer, the methods of diagnosis of appendicitis, particularly in young females, and the factors that determine the duration of stay of patients suffering from NSAP.     

Prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm in patients with occlusive peripheral vascular disease

Over a 1-year period, 242 patients with peripheral vascular disease underwent abdominal ultrasonography to detect the presence of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. In 34 (14 per cent) an abdominal aortic aneurysm was found; half of these aneurysms were greater than 4 cm in diameter. In addition, 16 patients had ectatic aortas. Abdominal aortic aneurysms were more common in men than in women (17 versus 8 per cent). Patients with claudication were as likely to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm as those with rest pain or gangrene. The presence of aortoiliac occlusive disease increased the chance of an aneurysm being present (P less than 0.02). Patients with occlusive peripheral vascular disease are a high-risk group with regard to the development of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Patients with proximal occlusive disease represent a subgroup at even higher risk.     

Preoperative CT in symptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms: accuracy and efficacy

Of 80 patients who underwent operations for abdominal aortic aneurysm at the Gainesville Veterans Administration Medical Center, 23 had a preoperative CT scan. Twenty patients in this group were symptomatic. In determining the presence of rupture, there was only one false-negative examination and no false-positives for a sensitivity of 0.9 and a specificity of 1.0. Nine of the 20 symptomatic patients had a rupture confirmed at laparotomy, and these patients had a 22 per cent mortality. Unruptured symptomatic patients operated upon after an expeditious preparation (usually about 36 hr), including optimization of cardiac output and mechanical bowel cleansing, had a mortality of 30 per cent primarily for postoperative myocardial infarction and left ventricular failure. The high operative mortality previously reported for emergently repaired unruptured symptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms (18%) was not diminished by limited preoperative preparation.