Traumatic aortic rupture

Traumatic aortic rupture
The aorta, shown in red
SpecialtyEmergency medicine Edit this on Wikidata

Traumatic aortic rupture, also called traumatic aortic disruption or transection, is a condition in which the aorta, the largest artery in the body, is torn or ruptured as a result of trauma to the body. The condition is frequently fatal due to the profuse bleeding that results from the rupture. Since the aorta branches directly from the heart to supply blood to the rest of the body, the pressure within it is very great, and blood may be pumped out of a tear in the blood vessel very rapidly. This can quickly result in shock and death. Thus traumatic aortic rupture is a common killer in automotive accidents and other traumas,[1] with up to 18% of deaths that occur in automobile collisions being related to the injury.[2] In fact, aortic disruption due to blunt chest trauma is the second leading cause of injury death behind traumatic brain injury.[3][4]

Aortic rupture can also be caused by non-traumatic mechanisms, particularly abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture.

  1. ^ Schrader L, Carey MJ (2000). "Traumatic Aortic Rupture". The Doctor Will See You Now. interMDnet Corp. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
  2. ^ Rousseau H, Soula P, Perreault P, et al. (2 February 1999). "Delayed treatment of traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta with endoluminal covered stent". Circulation. 99 (4): 498–504. doi:10.1161/01.CIR.99.4.498. PMID 9927395.
  3. ^ Plummer D, Petro K, Akbari C, O'Donnell S (2006). "Endovascular repair of traumatic thoracic aortic disruption". Perspectives in Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. 18 (2): 132–139. doi:10.1177/1531003506293453. PMID 17060230.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Watanabe13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).