Result card

  • CUR1: Which (potential) health problem will be addressed by AAA screening?
Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm Screening
A0001
English
Guidance

Which (potential) health problem will be addressed by AAA screening?

Authors: Pseudo218 Pseudo218, Pseudo73 Pseudo73

Internal reviewers: Paolo Giorgi Rossi, Lotte Groth Jensen

An AAA is a pathological focal dilatation of the abdominal stem artery. The AAA bears the risk of rupture. The rupture of the aneurysm is a traumatic emergency condition with a high risk of death. Immediate emergency surgery may reduce the risk of death (peri-operative mortality for emergency repair was described as between 40% and 60% {5}) but is often not available because of uncertainty about the time of rupture. The risk of rupture increases with the diameter of the dilatation {4}. The cut-off point for preventive surgery is 5.5 cm {27}. Elective repair is indicated for AAAs with a diameter of 4.0 to 5.4 cm {18}. A screening programme is indicated to identify AAA with a high risk of rupture. Identified individuals are offered preventive surgery to reduce their individual risk of the negative consequences of a spontaneous rupture.

Critical
Completely
Pseudo218 P, Pseudo73 P Result Card CUR1 In: Pseudo218 P, Pseudo73 P Health Problem and Current Use of the Technology In: Jefferson T, Vicari N, Frønsdal K [eds.]. Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm Screening [Core HTA], Agenzia nationale per i servizi sanitari regionali (age.na.s), Italy; 2013. [cited 28 May 2023]. Available from: http://corehta.info/ViewCover.aspx?id=106

References

{4} Mohler ER. Patient information: Abdominal aortic aneurysm 2011 {cited 2011-12-16}; Available from: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/patient-information-abdominal-aortic-aneurysm

{5} Fowkes G. Peripheral Vascular Disease - Health Care Needs Assessment - Third Series. 2007 {cited 2011-12-22; Available from: http://www.hcna.bham.ac.uk/documents/09_HCNA3_D2.pdf

{18} Fleming C, Whitlock EP, Beil TL, Lederle FA. Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm: a best-evidence systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. 2005 Feb 1;142(3):203-11.

{27} United KingdomSmall Aneurysm Trial Participants. Long-term outcomes of immediate repair compared with surveillance of small abdominal aortic aneurysms. TheNew Englandjournal of medicine. 2002 May 9;346(19):1445-52.