Chime in and diagnose...

[Veneficus]

I suspect that the ABPI is possibly the genesis of this, but it's hard to say. It is a relatively common "ambulance-ism" that patients with an aneurysm somewhere in the thorax will present with unequal blood pressures. The degree of difference required to be significant is seldom quantified, nor does there seem to be much grasp on the pathology that would be required to give rise to a difference as I usually hear it with reference to abdominal aneurysm.

I never heard of "difference in pressure in the arms" prior to this. But in a quick analysis of how it would work and if anyone should care, this is what I think.

The most common locations for aneurysms are the abdomen and the circle of willis. If this helps look for a thoracic aneurysm, it may not meet the time/benefit test.

In a pseudoaneurysm, the most common location is the acending aorta. It is possible that the infiltration of the media could block the brachiocephalic or subclavian. But that is not reliable as arteriosclerotic occlusion could do the same. (which is more likely in the limb artery than in the aorta anyway.) It doesn't account for anatomical variances or coarction of limb vasculature either.

All in all it sounds nonsensitive and nonspecific. Waste of time.

 

[DrParasite]

I am not really sure this helped. Can you tell me why you did that?

wasn't my call, so I can't tell you for sure.

I am guessing, and this is only a guess, but with his pressure so low that he was passing out every time he sat up (60/40, etc), they want to try to raise his pressure to help him stay conscious.

but that's just a guess

 

[Veneficus]

wasn't my call, so I can't tell you for sure.

I am guessing, and this is only a guess, but with his pressure so low that he was passing out every time he sat up (60/40, etc), they want to try to raise his pressure to help him stay conscious.

but that's just a guess

That is a fair response, but I would rather have an unconscious person not bleeding from the aorta than a conscious one that was.

Just a preference of mine.

 

[PrincessAnika]

just reading OP - kidney stone
going back to read the rest of the posts now...lol\

eta - wow.

 

[MrBrown]

The most common locations for aneurysms are the abdomen and the circle of willis...

Hmmm lets see, abdomen vs. circle of willis ..... abdomen vs. circle of willis .... I choose abdomen.

 

[8jimi8]

sure i'll chose death over stroke any day.

 

[MrBrown]

sure i'll chose death over stroke any day.

Nah man you got it all wrong, the hospital is just down the road from my house ... come to think of it so is the ambulance station and the HEMS base

 

[8jimi8]

Nah man you got it all wrong, the hospital is just down the road from my house ... come to think of it so is the ambulance station and the HEMS base

look... you don't have to die to get close to one of those jumpsuits...