Acute aortic syndrome

What you need to knowAcute aortic syndrome is a life threatening condition caused by a tear in the thoracic aorta.Consider acute aortic syndrome in all patients presenting with chest pain that is unexplained or associated with a high risk condition, pain feature, or examination finding in the aortic dissection detection risk score.Undertake immediate computed tomography angiography if the patient is acutely unwell and has characteristic features of acute aortic syndrome.Consider using D-dimer as an alternative to computed tomography angiography for ruling out acute aortic syndrome in patients who have a high risk feature, but the diagnosis is considered unlikely.A healthy woman in her mid 50s experiences sudden, tearing pain, like a lightning bolt from her neck to her chest, radiating to her back, coming in waves, with severity fluctuating over subsequent hours. At times she is able to talk and even walk, but she feels that her consciousness level is…
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