Chest Pain + Tear? Think Aortic Dissection | Clinical Approach for Physicians

Chest Pain + Tear? Think Aortic Dissection | Clinical Approach for Physicians Aortic dissection is a life-threatening cardiovascular emergency with high mortality if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Early recognition in patients presenting with chest pain can be life-saving. In this video, we cover: 🧠 Pathophysiology Intimal tear and false lumen formation Propagation along the aorta Compromised organ perfusion ⚠️ Clinical presentation Sudden severe “tearing” chest pain Pain radiating to back or abdomen Pulse deficit or blood pressure difference Syncope or shock Neurological symptoms (stroke-like presentation) 🏷️ Classification Stanford Type A (ascending aorta) – surgical emergency Stanford Type B (descending aorta) – medical management in most cases 🔍 Diagnosis Clinical suspicion is key Chest X-ray: widened mediastinum CT angiography (gold standard) ECG may mimic MI (important pitfall) D-dimer role (adjunct only) 🚨 Management Immediate blood pressure control (beta-blockers first) Pain control (opioids) Avoid anticoagulation if misdiagnosed as MI Type A → urgent surgery Type B → medical management ± intervention 🧩 Key clinical pearls “Pain out of proportion” chest pain Do NOT miss in young hypertensive patients MI vs dissection differentiation is critical Time = aorta = life This lecture is designed for emergency physicians, internists, cardiologists, surgeons, intensivists, residents, and medical students in Cambodia and worldwide. 🎯 Learning Objectives: By the end of this video, viewers will be able to suspect aortic dissection early, interpret key imaging findings, differentiate it from myocardial infarction, and initiate correct emergency management. #AorticDissection #ChestPain #Cardiology #EmergencyMedicine #CriticalCare #InternalMedicine #VascularSurgery #AcuteAorticSyndrome #Hypertension #MedicalEducation #PhysicianEducation #ECG #CambodianPhysicians #MedEd #SaveALife Credit to: https://www.instagram.com/dr_alvinaza... 👉 សម្រាប់ព័ត៌មានបន្ថែមសូមទំនាក់ទំនង៖ Telegram: ➡️ https://t.me/Cchandarith 👉 Join Group Telegram: Medical Tourism: ➡️ https://t.me/medicaltourists / 👉 Join our channel: https://t.me/medicaltouri