Aortic dissection has been brought to the public’s attention since U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham died as a result of the life-threatening condition. Preliminary analyses of the medical examiner in the District of Columbia showed a link to a medical disorder, arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which causes weakened blood vessels over time.
Aortic dissection is a serious cardiovascular emergency which, although not common, could happen. If not diagnosed and treated, the disease can progress quickly towards death which requires every minute.
What Is an Aortic Dissection?
Aortic dissection forms when there is a tear in the inner lining of the aorta, the big artery in the body. All other blood vessels are vital to the human system, but the aorta is likely among the most.
The aorta has 3 layers of the wall. If the inner layer ( called the intima) ripped, the blood would be driven into the space between the walls of the blood vessel under pressure. Blood forms a second set of channels that leave the layers of the artery separate, aka the false lumen.
The longer the tear continues, the more the vessel weakens and disrupts the blood flow to the rest of the body.
Why Is It Considered a Medical Emergency?
The aortic dissection occurs very rapidly since the aorta is in direct connection with the main pumping chamber of the heart. Each time your heart beats, blood is pushed through the tear, and it moves even further down the vessel.
The false channel enlarges, which may squeeze and compress the normal vessel and cut off the blood supply to important organs such as the brain, heart, kidneys and intestines. It can lead to complications such as stroke, heart attack, kidney failure or permanent damage of organs.
The most serious complications can happen if the dissection extends all the way through the outer wall of the aorta. This results in extensive bleeding in the body, and within a few minutes, if the emergency surgery is not carried out, cardiac arrest and death may follow.
How Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Increases the Risk?
Initial medical diagnoses suggest that Lindsey Graham’s aortic dissection was caused by a problem called arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Arteriosclerosis is the thickening, hardening and inability to bend of arteries, caused by accumulation of plaque. This over time makes the aorta’s wall weaker and weaker. The weakened artery is far more likely to tear, when it’s coupled with high blood pressure or sudden physical stress.
The process of arteriosclerosis takes many years, and the actual dissection of the artery may spontaneously occur without warning.
Common Symptoms of an Aortic Dissection
Aortic dissection can be life threatening because Aortic Dissection can have symptoms similar to a heart attack. The most characteristic warning sign is a sudden onset of “tearing”, “ripping” or “stabbing” chest pain.
As the tear continues the pain can radiate into the upper back, neck, or abdomen or the shoulders. Others also have trouble breathing, faint, dizziness, sweating, weakness, trouble speaking or loss of consciousness.
The symptoms are similar to those of a number of cardiovascular emergencies, so prompt evaluation and treatment by a medical professional is key.
Stanford Classification: Type A vs. Type B
Medical practitioners use the Stanford Classification System to classify aortic dissection, which indicates the urgency of treatment or subsequent care.
Stanford Type A dissection occurs at the level of the aorta close to the heart. This condition is the most serious form to undergo surgery for, as it has the greatest likelihood of rupturing and causing sudden death. The damaged section of the artery must almost always be replaced with emergency open-heart surgery.
The Stanford Type B dissection involves only the descending part of the aorta. Although still life-threatening, there will be much intensive treatment with blood pressure control, with minimally invasive endovascular treatment extending to the repair when needed.
How Is an Aortic Dissection Treated?
Treatment is dependent on the location and the size of the tear. The first treatment goal is to stabilize the patient’s blood pressure and heart rate to decrease the stress to the damaged artery, accomplished by the initial treatment by emergency physicians.
Treatment for Type A dissections typically consists of urgent surgery as the aortic section is torn and is replaced with a man-made tube known as a graft. When complications arise, type B dissections can be treated with a minimally-invasive stent-graft procedure, or with medication.
Prompt access to emergency medical services is crucial with early diagnosis dramatically improving the chances of survival.
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Why Early Recognition Matters?
The fact that aortic dissection can rapidly become fatal when not treated is one of the most shocking and frightening things about it. Medical studies indicate death following the onset of symptoms is at 1% to 2% per hour for the patients with untreated Stanford Type A dissectants.
That’s why doctors say acute and intense chest or upper back pain should never be taken for granted. If “immediate emergency evaluation” is called for, it can be a matter of life and death.
FAQs
What is Aortic Dissection?
Aortic dissection is a medical emergency that occurs when the lining of the aorta ruptures, which causes blood to pull the lining and wall apart, and forms a dangerous false channel.
What causes an aortic dissection?
It is often linked to chronic high blood pressure, arteriosclerotic heart disease, rare inherited disorders of the connective tissue, old age and other factors that使 думать aortic wall weak.
Which is the earliest symptom of aortic dissection?
Most often, the initial pain is sudden, intense or tearing chest or upper back pain. Some patients may also be faint, short of breath, weak or have stroke-like symptoms.
