ABSTRACT
2,654 males aged 60 years or older were invited to attend a screening examination using ultrasound to detect abdominal aortic aneurysm. 1,256 met up. A fee of NOK 150 was charged. 92 aneurysms were detected (7.3%) 69 were smaller than 40 mm and 23 were 40 mm or larger. During the observation period (18 months from start of the study and nine months after screening stopped) 17 of the patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm of 40 mm or larger had elective operations. All patients survived without major complications. Owing to the high prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm, the low cost of screening, and the safety of elective surgery, it is suggested that screening for detection of abdominal aortic aneurysm should be carried out on a larger scale.
Subject(s)
Aortic Aneurysm/diagnostic imaging , Aged , Aorta, Abdominal/diagnostic imaging , Aortic Aneurysm/epidemiology , Humans , Male , Mass Screening/economics , Middle Aged , Norway/epidemiology , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
280 patients with phlebographically proven deep venous thrombosis received intravenous heparin infusion, mean duration 6.8 days, mean dose 370 U/kg/day. In 58 patients (21%) there was no apparent predisposing factor. Leg pain diminished more rapidly than edema. At discharge, 46% had edema. Symptoms suggesting pulmonary embolism (PE) occurred in 13 patients (4.6%) whose mean daily heparin dose was similar to that of the others. The only fatal PE occurred three days after cessation of heparin administration. Eight patients (3%) experienced major bleeding, the only fatal occurring after thoracocentesis. The frequency of major bleeding in patients above 70 years was 8% in females and 4% in males, in those below 70 years it was 0.5%; 22 patients (8%) had minor bleeding. Control phlebography after one week revealed completely cleared thrombus in 3%, partial clearance in 36%, unchanged in 39% and increased thrombosis in 22%. Dosage was significantly correlated to thrombus resolution.