Aortic endograft sizing in trauma patients with hemodynamic instability.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate changes in aortic diameter in hemodynamically unstable trauma patients and the implications for sizing of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in patients with traumatic thoracic aortic injury (TTAI).


METHODS
We retrospectively evaluated all trauma patients that were admitted with hemodynamic instability (mean arterial pressure <95 mm Hg and a pulse >or=100 beats/min) and underwent computed tomography (CT) of the thorax and abdomen both at admission and at another moment (control CT scan), at the Yale New Haven Hospital between 2002 and 2009. The CT examinations were reviewed in a blinded fashion and the aortic diameter was measured at six different levels by a cardiovascular radiologist. Differences in aortic diameter between the initial CTs obtained in the trauma bay and the control CTs were compared using the paired Student t test.


RESULTS
Forty-three patients were identified, including 32 males. Mean age was 37 +/- 16 years, mean injury severity score was 26 +/- 15, the mean pulse and blood pressure were 122 beats/min and 103/63 mm Hg, respectively. Overall, the mean aortic diameter was significantly larger at the control CT examinations compared with the initial CT examinations while hemodynamically unstable, at all evaluated levels. Among patients with a pulse >or=130/min, the mean increase in aortic diameter was most consistent at the level of the mid descending thoracic aorta (DTA, +12.6%, P = .003) and at the level of the infrarenal aorta (+12.6%, P = .004).


CONCLUSIONS
The aortic diameter decreases dramatically in trauma patients with hemodynamic instability. This decrease in aortic diameter could theoretically lead to inaccurate aortic measurements and undersizing of the endograft in hemodynamically unstable TTAI patients requiring TEVAR. Further research is needed to better predict the actual aortic diameters in individual hemodynamically unstable patients requiring endovascular aortic repair.
Jonker
Frederik H W
FH
Sections of Vascular Surgery, Interventional Radiology, and Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Surgical Emergencies, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
Verhagen
Hence J M
HJ
Mojibian
Hamid
H
Davis
Kimberly A
KA
Moll
Frans L
FL
Muhs
Bart E
BE
D000328:Adult; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult