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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

An Approach to Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Evaluation of the Abdominal Aorta
Published on: September 8, 2023
Missed opportunities for the detection of abdominal aortic aneurysms
A J Macdonald1, O Faleh, G Welch
1Department of Surgery, Southern General Hospital, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow G51 4TF, United Kingdom. alisdair.macdonald@rah.scot.nhs.uk
Objective:
To determine whether patients attending as emergencies with ruptured AAA could have been detected opportunistically prior to rupture.
Design:
Retrospective analysis.
Methods:
The notes of patients attending hospital with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms to four City and DGH hospital in the West of Scotland were examined for previous assessments or investigations with the potential to discover an AAA.
Results:
In this series 77% of patients were not previously known to have and AAA. Of these patients 76% had been reviewed in hospital during the preceding 5 years on a combined total of 355 occasions. 56% of patients had been seen in hospital during the year preceding rupture on a total of 80 occasions, only undergoing 17 abdominal examinations.
Conclusion:
Clinical examination is not frequently considered in routine practice as a screening tool for AAA but patients who subsequently go on to attend as an emergency ruptured AAA are likely to have consulted medical staff during the preceding years. A large number of patients have missed a prior opportunity for detection.
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The abdominal examination is a cornerstone of clinical medicine, serving as a critical tool in diagnosing various gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. It involves a systematic approach that includes inspection and auscultation, each with distinct yet complementary roles in assessing the abdomen. This article will delve into these two primary methods healthcare professionals use to examine the abdomen.
Inspection of the Abdomen
The first step in any abdominal examination is inspection.
