Patient compliance with recommendations for follow-up or surgery will also directly influence the ability of screening to prevent ruptured aneurysms. They noted that, due to the variable quality of the available data, screening for AAA could prove to be very cost-effective or could actually cause a net harm. Recommendations against routine ultrasound screening in the general population may be made on other grounds, such as the low prevalence of clinically significant AAA and the high cost of screening. Although direct evidence that screening for AAA reduces mortality or morbidity is not available in any population, clinicians may decide to screen selected high-risk patients, due to the significant burden of disease and the availability of effective surgical treatment for large aneurysms. If screening is performed, it is not certain whether ultrasound or abdominal palpation is the preferred test.
Abdominal palpation is less expensive but also less sensitive than ultrasound.
Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Abdominal aortic aneurysm. Collin J, Araujo L, Walton J, et al. Oxford screening program for abdominal aortic aneurysm in men aged 65 to 74 years. The epidemiology of abdominal aortic aneurysm.