The Lived Experience of  65-year-old Men being Screened for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm; a Short-Term Perspective Carina Bertero, RN, RNT, MScN, PhD, Associate Professor 1| Per Carlson, PhD, Professor2| Fredrik Lundgren, MD, PhD3	PDF File
1 Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Division of Nursing Science, Faculty of Health Sciences,    Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden 2 Center for Medical Technology Assessment, Linköping University, Linköping Sweden 3 Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart Centre, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden

Abstract

The purpose was to investigate whether screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm and the finding of an enlarged aorta in those men causes worries and affect the life-situation. Men at the age of 65 years were invited to ultra sound screening and they who had an enlarged aorta ( ≥30 mm), were invited for a qualitative interview analysed by interpretive phenomenological method. Totally 11 men were interviewed. Three themes were identified: be under superintendence; affected, but live as usual; and hereditariness leading to fatalism. Although not unaffected by the screening result the men carry on with their life as usual. However, the need for a long term study to confirm the results is now in accomplishment.

Introduction

Rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life-threatening condition and there is an overall mortality rate of about 80 per cent.¹ About 2 % of all deaths in men over the age of 65 years are caused by an AAA², and of those undergoing emergency surgery for AAA rupture only 60 percent will survive.^3-5 Ultrasound screening for asymptomatic AAA and elective repair before rupture have been identified as possible means of reducing mortality from AAA^4,6 Large randomized studies show considerable effect on mortality and cost- effectiveness analysis show a reasonable cost-effectiveness ratio^7.