Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The Tacoma experience.

The Tacoma, Washington surgical experience with 37 consecutive patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms seen over a 5 year period has been reported. The overall survival rate was 38 percent. The development of shock before initiation of surgery was a common finding and portended a poor prognosis. The presence of a known aneurysm before presentation with rupture had no influence on the delay required to make the diagnosis and institute surgery or on the proportion of patients in shock but it did negatively influence the survival rate. The need for improved community understanding of aneurysms, their natural history, and the necessity for prompt diagnosis and immediate surgical intervention combined with avoidance of shock when rupture occurs are stressed.