Don’t perform unnecessarily frequent ultrasound examinations in asymptomatic patients with small abdominal aortic aneurysms. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms between 4 to 4.9 cm in diameter should be surveyed by annual ultrasound.

Regular ultrasound examination of asymptomatic patients with small abdominal aortic aneurysms is essential to document aneurysm growth and decide when intervention is warranted. The interval between examinations is dictated by the size of the aneurysm and its expected growth rate. Too frequent examinations can cause undue patient anxiety and are not cost effective.

 

Sources:

RESCAN Collaborators, et al. Surveillance intervals for small abdominal aortic aneurysms: a meta-analysis. JAMA 2013;309(8):806-13. PMID: 23443444.

Thompson SG, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the growth and rupture rates of small abdominal aortic aneurysms: implications for surveillance intervals and their cost-effectiveness. Health Technol Assess 2013;17(41):1-118. PMID: 24067626.