title: Fate of patients unwilling or unsuitable to undergo surgical intervention for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary objective of this study was to assess the duration of in-hospital survival in 57 patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (RAAA) who did not undergo surgical intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hours after registration in the emergency room, 58% (95% CI 45-71) of patients were still alive. The median survival was 2.2 hours (interquartile range 1-18). In a subgroup including 26 haemodynamically stable patients, survival after 2 hours was 96% (95% CI 89-100).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with an RAAA without surgical intervention, the duration of in-hospital survival is limited. However, a group of haemodynamically stable patients can be identified in whom survival is much longer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: van Beek
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Vahl
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wisselink
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: r.balm@amc.nl.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balm
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000075202:Contraindications; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures
keywords: Abdominal; Aneurysm; Aortic aneurysm; Nonoperative therapy; Ruptured; Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm; Vascular surgical procedures; Withholding treatment