title: Acute dissecting aortic aneurysm: community hospital experience in 20 cases.
abstract: Of 20 patients with dissecting aortic aneurysm managed at our community hospital, 16 had type A (ascending) dissection and four had type B (descending) dissection. Twelve of the patients with type A dissection were operated on; six of them survived and six died postoperatively. The remaining four patients with type A dissection had cardiopulmonary arrest and died before surgical intervention was attempted. All four patients with type B dissection were treated medically and all survived. Although acute aortic dissection is not commonly seen at community hospitals, expedient management of such patients can have a major impact on their survival. Patients at extreme risk are those with type A dissection, particularly those with cardiopulmonary arrest.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, St. Luke's Hospital, St. Louis, MO 63017.
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Selke
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gowda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haikal
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coordes
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leidenfrost
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D002932:Cineangiography; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed