Abdominal Aortic Emergencies

Christie Lech; Anand Swaminathan

doi:10.1016/j.emc.2017.07.003

Abdominal Aortic Emergencies

Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2017 Nov;35(4):847-867. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2017.07.003.

Authors

Christie Lech¹, Anand Swaminathan²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital Center, 462 First Avenue, Room 345A, New York, NY 10016, USA. Electronic address: christie.lech@nyumc.org.
² Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital Center, 462 First Avenue, Room 345A, New York, NY 10016, USA.

PMID: 28987432
DOI: 10.1016/j.emc.2017.07.003

Abstract

This article discusses abdominal aortic emergencies. There is a common thread of risk factors and causes of these diseases, including age, male gender, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and connective tissue disorders. The most common presenting symptom of these disorders is pain, usually in the chest, flank, abdomen, or back. Computed tomography scan is the gold standard for diagnosis of pathologic conditions of the aorta in the hemodynamically stable patient. Treatment consists of a combination of blood pressure and heart rate control and, in many cases, emergent surgical intervention.

Keywords: Abdominal aorta; Acute aortic syndrome; Aneurysm; Aortic rupture; Dissection.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* / diagnosis
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* / epidemiology
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* / surgery
Aortic Dissection* / diagnosis
Aortic Dissection* / epidemiology
Aortic Dissection* / surgery
Emergencies*
Global Health
Humans
Morbidity
Survival Rate
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*
Vascular Surgical Procedures / methods*