Volume 13, Issue 7: Aortic dissection – THINK AORTA

Aortic dissection – THINK AORTA

It’s been a busy shift on a wet summer’s day when the MDT goes again – a 50-year-old male with chest pain. On arrival your patient reports sudden, stabbing chest pain, 10/10 on the pain scale but an ECG appears unremarkable. As you take him to the emergency department his observations are all within normal ranges, but he still appears to be critically ill…

CPD benefit

The estimated mortality for aortic dissection is 50 per cent within the first 48 hours. A diagnosis of aortic dissection is considered in less than half of patients who present with the condition, whereas a third of patients with aortic dissection are actively treated for the wrong diagnosis. This article sets out the anatomy and function of the aorta and its branches and then goes on to describe what happens during an aortic dissection. It provides guidance on how to assess a patient taking into account their history, symptoms and your observations. This will help you manage the patient in a time-critical situation where early identification followed by rapid transport to the most appropriate hospital will give the patient the best chance of survival.