title: Acute thoracic aortic dissection: the basics.
abstract: With an increasing incidence, aortic dissection is the most common acute illness of the aorta. In the setting of chronic hypertension, with or without other risk factors for aortic dissection, this diagnosis should be considered a diagnostic possibility in patients presenting to the emergency department with acute chest or back pain. Left untreated, about 75% of patients with dissections involving the ascending aorta die within 2 weeks of an acute episode. But with successful initial therapy, the 5-year survival rate increases to 75%. Hence, timely recognition of this disease entity coupled with urgent and appropriate management is the key to a successful outcome in a majority of the patients. This article reviews acute thoracic aortic dissection, including ED diagnosis and management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Varon
authors.forename: O C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Wenker
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Judge
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Fromm
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Sternbach
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged