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Aortic Aneurysm

Aortic Aneurysm. By Marcus A. Todd. Basketball Player Congressmen Baseball Players Racecar Drivers Teachers. Students Parents Presidents Millionaires Professionals. Who Is At Risk. Aorta. Largest artery in the body Responsible for pumping blood out of the heart

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Aortic Aneurysm

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  1. Aortic Aneurysm By Marcus A. Todd

  2. Basketball Player Congressmen Baseball Players Racecar Drivers Teachers Students Parents Presidents Millionaires Professionals Who Is At Risk

  3. Aorta • Largest artery in the body • Responsible for pumping blood out of the heart • Projects upward from the heart • Then arches down towards the abdomen

  4. Aneurysm of the Aorta • A Widening, Bulge or Ballooning. • Usually a weak spot • Expands to at least 1.5 times of normal size • Normal size aprox 1 inch

  5. Types of Aneurysm

  6. But I Felt Fine • Characterized by degeneration of cells • Tissue is weak • Lacks Elasticity • No pain yet

  7. First Indication is localized enlargement When reaches size of half inch bigger then complete aorta, referred to as an aneurysm Aortic tissue might tear, even if not enlarged Aorta has two layers Inner layer can tear and leak between outer layer Separation of layers called Dissection Why? What’s Wrong

  8. Dissection

  9. Surgery • Dissection • Surgical repair • Uses leg graft • Or graft from other Sources

  10. How Do You Know • Discovered in different ways • Sometimes pressure or pain • Routine physical • Chest X-ray • Often no warning symptoms

  11. Bicuspid Aortic Valve??? • No Can’t be • They exist • 1 out of every 200 aneurysm has it • Puts you at risk for aneurysm or dissection

  12. OK!! I Have IT, What do I Do. • Post surgery MRI or CT scan benchmark • Annual MRI or CT scan check-up • Ongoing blood pressure optimization • PT/INR monitoring if on the anticoagulant Coumadin • Lifestyle recommendations

  13. Medications • Thrombolytics Contraindicated • Heparin Indicated • Calcium Channel Indicated • Bata Blockers Indicated

  14. What If That Does Not Work • Surgery my Friend • High risk of death • Some Times elective • Most times emergency • Risky Procedures • Lots of Pain

  15. Thoracic Aortic Injury (Trauma) • Rollover of the vehicle occurs • A fatality is involved • A person is ejected from the vehicle • The vehicle sustains a dent of more than 12 inches • A prolonged period of time was required to extricate the victim from the vehicle

  16. So What Can We As Nurses Do? • Pt teaching • Life style changes, Diet, activities, ect. • Pain management • Meds, breathing techniques, positions, ect • Observation • Does your Pt look like they hurt?, Rubbing their chest? Saying it is only indigestion?

  17. More To Do • Assessments • All V/S, Demeanor, posture, Pain level • Direction to other help • If Pt is not satisfied with info supplied give other avenues for help • Therapeutic communication • Look, listen, touch, empathetic

  18. Need More Info?? • Thoracic Aortic Surgery Program • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center • 8700 Beverly Blvd., Suite 6215 • Los Angeles, CA 90048 • Phone: 1-800-CEDARS-1 (233-2771) • Fax: (310) 423-0127 • http://www.csmc.edu/2405.html#aortic

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