Playing with fire
This the most common risk factor for aortic dissection
What is hypertension?
These are two classic physical exam findings that may differentiate aortic dissection from limb ischemia.
What is BP Differential and Pulse Deficit?
This is a potential cardiac complication from rhabdomyolysis.
What is Arrhythmia and Cardiac Arrest (Electrolyte Imbalance)?
These are the two main factors involved in the pathogenesis of dissection.
What is Wall Tension and Medial Layer Weakness?
This is the most likely EKG finding in a patient with dissection.
What are signs of LVH?
This is the gender and age group most at risk for aortic dissection.
Who are Men, between the ages of 60-80 years old?
These are the advantages and disadvantages of a D-dimer test for suspected dissection.
What is High Sensitivity (97%) and Low Specificity (56%)?
This is a complication of stagnant/slow moving blood collecting in the false lumen.
What is Thrombosis and True Lumen Collapse?
This is The Space that the false lumen forms within.
What is the Intima-Media Space?
Patients with this disorder are more likely to present without typical dissection pain.
What is Marfan syndrome?
This is a diagnosis that must be considered for a patient with an aortic dissection who is under the age of 40.
(Marfans/Ehlers Danlos)
These are Classic aortic dissection findings on CXR and CT.
What is a Widened Mediastinum and Dissection Flap?
This is the main clinical management for a Type B aortic dissection.
What is Aggressive BP/HR Control & Close Monitoring for Progression/Complications?
Urgent surgical intervention is needed due to the high risk of developing this complication from a type A dissection.
What is Aortic Rupture?
This is the cause of low/no urine output in a patient with limb ischemia.
What is Acute Kidney Injury Secondary to Rhabdomyolysis?
These are two common causes of rapid/early development of cystic medial necrosis.
What are Bicuspid aortic valve and Marfan syndrome.
This is the preferred method for definitive diagnosis of aortic dissection in an unstable patient.
What is Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE)?
This is the physiologic basis for providing pain control in event of aortic dissection.
What is Pain Reduction → Decreased Sympathetic Tone → Decreased HR/BP?
This is the most common area where an aortic rupture occurs.
What is ~2cm Above the Aortic Root?
There are the 6 “Ps” describing signs/symptoms of acute limb ischemia. (Name at least 4)
What is Pain, Pallor, Pulselessness, Paralysis, Paresthesia, and Poikilothermia.
These are Two congenital anomalies associated with Turner syndrome that increase dissection risk
What is Bicuspid Aortic Valve and Coarctation of the Aorta?
This is a murmur caused by a complication of type A dissections.
What is A New, Blowing, Diastolic, Decrescendo Murmur (Aortic Regurgitation)?
These are the main Indications for surgical intervention of type B dissection.
What is Active or Impending Aortic Rupture and Malperfusion Syndrome?
This is the function of the vasa vasorum, and cause of vascular thickening.
What are microvessels in the adventitia that supply blood to the outer layers of large vessels, and Hypertension?
This is the reason for initiating HR control before BP control in a suspected dissection.
What is reflex tachycardia?