Where it is
Rises from the left ventricle (ascending aorta), arches over the heart (aortic arch, which gives off the brachiocephalic, left common carotid and left subclavian arteries), then runs down in front of the spine through the chest and abdomen, dividing into the common iliac arteries at about the level of the umbilicus (L4).
What it does
Distributes blood to every organ. Its elastic wall stretches during systole and recoils during diastole, keeping blood flowing between beats.
Clinical relevance
- An abdominal aortic aneurysm may cause a pulsating abdominal mass and a bruit; rupture causes severe back or abdominal pain and shock.
- Aortic dissection causes sudden tearing chest or back pain and a difference in blood pressure between the arms.
Nursing focus
- Do not palpate a known abdominal aortic aneurysm deeply.
- With suspected dissection, control pain and blood pressure and prepare for emergency surgery.