A study of the mortality from ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms in a district community.

In a 6-year period (1982-1987), 197 cases of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm were identified in the area covered by the Swindon Health District. Of these, 135 (69%) reached hospital alive, 88 (45%) were operated on, and only 28 (14%) survived. This represents an overall mortality of 86%. In comparison, the mortality from elective aneurysm repair for the same period was only 3.3%. These findings suggest that early detection of aortic aneurysms, leading to elective rather than emergency repair, would be of much greater benefit than the small increase in overall survival one would expect from improving treatment in cases of rupture.