Evidence-based On-call

Aortic dissection

Prevalence
Clinical features
Differential diagnosis
Investigations
Therapy
Prevention
Prognosis

Prevalence

However aortic dissection is common in patients if clinicians are suspicious enough to order an angiogram ^a

Note:

55% of patients referred for angiogram due a possible aortic dissection have one (95% CI: 45% to 64%) ^a
- Roughly 50 % of these are proximal (starting above the aortic valve) ^a
- Roughly 50% are distal (starting beyond the origin of the left subclavian artery) ^a
- Around 30 to 40% are subacute (> 2 weeks old) ^a