Journal of vascular surgery
-
Multicenter Study
Factors associated with stroke or death after carotid endarterectomy in Northern New England.
This study investigated risk factors for stroke or death after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) among hospitals of varying type and size participating in a regional quality improvement effort. ⋯ Surgeons can "risk-stratify" preoperative patients by considering the variables (emergency procedure, contralateral internal carotid artery occlusion, preoperative ipsilateral cortical stroke, congestive heart failure, and age), reducing risk with antiplatelet agents, and informing patients more precisely about their risk of stroke or death after CEA. Risk prediction models can also be used to compare risk-adjusted outcomes between centers, identify best practices, and hopefully, improve overall results.
-
Multicenter Study
Bleeding into the intraluminal thrombus in abdominal aortic aneurysms is associated with rupture.
The aim of this study was to determine signs of bleeding in the intraluminal thrombus and the site of rupture using multislice computed tomography (CT) imaging in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). ⋯ The site of rupture could be identified in a majority of cases of AAA with routine multislice CT. This study demonstrates an association between the presence of blood in the thrombus as suggested by higher attenuation levels and a crescent sign and AAA rupture. If these findings also predict AAA rupture, remains to be established.