Brimacombe J, Berry A
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Cairns Base Hospital, Australia.
Postgrad Med J. 1994 Apr;70(822):252-6. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.70.822.252.
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm currently accounts for about 1 in 200 deaths and is a critical surgical emergency with an average hospital mortality of 50%. The combination of acute massive haemorrhage in an elderly patient with pre-existing medical disease is highly lethal and a major challenge for any health care system. This article outlines the general principles of management and discusses the problems of haemodynamic assessment and preclamping fluid resuscitation.