For AAA patients

[Sam. W]

If an AAA patients aneurysm burst, and he/she is not DNR, we still perform CPR, even it will make it worse, right?

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

A ruptured AAA can cause excruciating pain and someone can take up to a few hours before they actually die. If not done already, I would make sure you guys already have orders for comfort measures for immediate use once it happens.

You hve your terms confused...ruptured AAA means it's ruptured the blood vessel is wide open...this takes about a minute if that to bleed out.

Disecting AAA is what you are referring to. I would say maybe an hour or so, but never hours! Once ir ruptures they are dead. And yes you are correct a disecting AAA is excruciating!

[resqbug]

You hve your terms confused...ruptured AAA means it's ruptured the blood vessel is wide open...this takes about a minute if that to bleed out.

Disecting AAA is what you are referring to. I would say maybe an hour or so, but never hours! Once ir ruptures they are dead. And yes you are correct a disecting AAA is excruciating!

Yes, thank you for the correction....My grandma had an inoperable AAA so we knew it was coming. Her last CT had shown 8cm....In the few days leading up to it, she started vomiting coffee grounds and felt very sick. Once it dissected/ruptured, she screamed in pain, got pain meds on board and it still took over 3 hours for her to actually pass. I was surprised it took that long - I was expecting quick because that almost always seems to be the case.