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- NURS 6051 Assignment 3 Concept Map Template
Concept Map Template
Primary Diagnosis: ____Aortic Aneurysm – Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)______
- Explain the pathophysiology of the major diagnosis in your own language. What are the risk factors of the patient?
| Pathophysiology of Primary Diagnosis | |
| The weakening of the aortic wall and its dilation is a result of the degradation of the elastin and collagen in the tunica media. It leads to remodelling of vessel walls, dilation and risk of rupture (Shi et al., 2025). Inflammation, hemodynamic stress and activation of proteolytic enzymes contribute to the degenerative process. | |
| Causes | Risk Factors (genetic/ethnic/physical) |
| · Atherosclerosis· Genetic connective tissue disorders· Trauma· Infection (mycotic aneurysm)· Inflammatory aortitis | Genetic: Family history, Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome Ethnic: More common in Caucasian males Physical: Age > 65, male sex, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis (Barkhordarian et al., 2024). |
- What are the signs and symptoms of this diagnosis of the patient? What are the effects of the diagnosis on other body systems and what are the potential complications? Signs and Symptoms- How does it presently affect the body?Complications?
| Signs and Symptoms – Common presentation | Complications? |
| – Often asymptomatic until large or ruptured – Pulsatile abdominal mass – Abdominal or back pain (if expanding/rupturing) – Hypotension, tachycardia (rupture) – Syncope, shock (rupture) | · Cardiovascular: Reduced aortic integrity → risk of dissection/rupture → hypovolemic shock· Renal: Compression → hydronephrosis or renal ischemia· GI: Compression → early satiety, bowel ischemia· Neurologic: Spinal cord ischemia (if thoracic)· Vascular: Distal embolization → limb ischemia (Barkhordarian et al., 2024)Complications:– Hemorrhagic shock, death – Aortic dissection – Distal thromboembolism – Compression of adjacent organs – Fistula formation (e.g., aorto-enteric) |
3 Which are the other possible diagnosis that have a similar presentation to this diagnosis (differentials)?
| ConditionWhy It Presents SimilarlyRenal colic / kidney stonePain in the flank/abdomen, hematuria.DiverticulitisPain, tenderness in the abdomen.PancreatitisBack pain/epigastric, nausea.Mesenteric ischemiaBack pain/epigastric, nausea.Musculoskeletal back painBack pain with no systemic symptoms.Symptomatic cholelithiasisRUQ pain, nausea (Das et al., 2025) |
- What are the tests or labs that you would order to exclude the differentials to this patient or to confirm the diagnosis?
| TestPurposeAbdominal ultrasound (screening)First imaging to measure aortic diameter.CT angiography (CTA)Best size, location, surgical planning.MRI / MRAWhen patients are stable, radiation-free detailed imaging.Chest X-rayMay reveal enlarged mediastinum (thoracic aneurysm)ECGExclude MI in the presence of pain.Complete Blood Count (CBC)Determine anemia (rupture).Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP)Analyze the renal functioning.D-dimer (if dissection suspected)Increased in acute aortic syndromes (Das et al., 2025) |
- What are some treatment options that you would consider? Includes potential referrals and medications.
| CategorySpecific InterventionsMedicationsDrugs – Beta-blockers (e.g., metoprolol) – BP Control ACE inhibitors/ARBs.- Statins (atorvastatin) – Antiplatelets (in case of CAD)- Pain management (in case symptomatic)Surgical Interventions– open surgical repair (graft placement) – Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) – Rupture emergency surgery.Lifestyle Modifications– Blood pressure control – Nutritious diet (low sodium, low cholesterol) – Regular moderate exercise- Do not overstrain shoulders by lifting heavy objects/Valsalva (Barkhordarian et al., 2024)Referrals– Cardiologist- Interventional radiologist- Primary care in risk factor management.- Smoking cessation counselor |
References
Innovation in pathogenesis and management of aortic aneurysm. World Journal of Experimental Medicine, 14(2), 91408. https://doi.org/10.5493/wjem.v14.i2.91408
Das, A. A., Waldeck-Weiermair, M., Yadav, S., Spyropoulos, F., Pandey, A., Dutta, T., Covington, T. A., & Michel, T. (2025). Differential aortic aneurysm formation provoked by chemogenetic oxidative stress. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 135(9), e188743. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci188743
Shi, D., Zhang, M., Zhang, Y., Shi, Y., Liu, X., Wu, X., & Yang, Z. (2025). The pathophysiological role of vascular smooth muscle cells in abdominal aortic aneurysm. Cells, 14(13), 1009–1009. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14131009
