Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm is recommended as it is the 13th most common cause of death in the United States. Screening is done by the use of ultrasound which is non-invasive.
The most important issues based on U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations here are:
1. Patients between the ages of 65 to 75 should be screened if they ever smoked.
2. There are no recommendations for or against screening in the ages of 65 to 75 if they never smoked.
3. The decision on who you should screen should always be individualized.
4. The USPSTF recommends against routine screening for AAA in women.
Factors that would favor screening include:
– Male sex
– Family history of aneurysm
– History of smoking
Other factor to consider are back and abdominal pain when there are no specific reasons to cause or exacerbate existing symptoms.
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