title: Factors affecting the postoperative mortality in the ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although patients with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) often reach the hospital alive, the perioperative mortality is still very high. We retrospectively reviewed thirty patients who underwent repair of RAAA to identify the factors affecting postoperative mortality in a single hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September 2007 and May 2011, thirty patients with RAAA underwent emergent surgery (n=27) or endovascular aneurysm repair (n=3). Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed regarding three categories: 1) preoperative patient status: age, gender, vital signs, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, hematocrit, and hemoglobin level: 2) aneurysmal status: size, type, and rupture status; and 3) operative factors: interval time to operating room, operative duration, and amount of perioperative transfusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 30-day postoperative mortality rate was 13.3% (4/30); later mortality was 3.3% (1/30). On multivariate analysis, the initial diastolic blood pressure (BP), interval time to operating room and amount of preoperative packed cell transfusion were statistically significantly linked with postoperative mortality (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, preoperative diastolic BP, preoperative packed cell transfusion amount and interval time between arrival and entry to operating room were significantly associated with postoperative mortality. It is important to prevent hemorrhage as quickly as possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyo Yeong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Sung Woon
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Chung Won
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Min Su
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sangpil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang Won
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kim