ED ultrasound diagnosis of a type B aortic dissection using the suprasternal view

Abstract

Aortic dissection (AD) is one of the most challenging diagnoses in emergency medicine. This is due, in part, to its variable presentation, ranging from abrupt tearing chest pain in a hemodynamically unstable patient to back pain in a stable patient, as well as its high mortality rates. (1) With the expanding role of ultrasound (U/S) performed by emergency physicians, it is possible to make the diagnosis of AD at the bedside before any other imaging modality has been accessed. (2) In this case report, we describe the use of emergency department (ED) bedside U/S and specifically highlight the use of the suprasternal view in the diagnosis of AD.