Aortic Dissection: A Highly Treatable Emergency That Requires Immediate Diagnosis

Aortic dissection is one of the most serious cardiovascular emergencies a person can experience. It can come on without warning, progresses rapidly, and when it isn't recognized and treated quickly, the consequences can be fatal. 

At The Becker Law Firm, we've seen firsthand what happens when this condition is missed or mishandled in an emergency setting, potentially constituting medical malpractice. Families lose loved ones or face life-altering complications that may have been prevented. 

If you believe a delayed or missed diagnosis of aortic dissection affected you or someone you love, our team is here to help you understand your legal options. Call us today at 216-480-4620 to speak with someone on our team.

What Is an Aortic Dissection?

The aorta is the largest artery in the body, responsible for carrying oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. An aortic dissection occurs when a tear develops in the inner lining of the aorta, allowing blood to force its way between the layers of the vessel wall. As blood separates those layers, it creates what's called a false channel, and the pressure from that process can compromise blood flow to vital organs, rupture the aorta entirely, or both.

Understanding How the Aorta Tears

The tear itself can happen suddenly and without obvious warning. Once blood begins separating the vessel walls, the condition can progress within minutes. The aorta may extend the dissection in either direction, cutting off blood supply to the arteries that branch from it, including those that supply the heart, brain, kidneys, and spine. 

This is why the time between the onset of symptoms and definitive treatment is so critical. Every minute matters and mistakes can mean the difference between life and death.

Why Aortic Dissection Is a Medical Emergency

At The Becker Law Firm, we understand how quickly aortic dissection can turn life-threatening and how devastating the consequences can be when diagnosis or treatment is delayed. Our team has extensive experience handling complex medical malpractice cases involving missed or mismanaged cardiovascular emergencies, helping families pursue accountability and answers when critical care falls short.

The Critical First 24 to 48 Hours

Untreated aortic dissection mortality rises 1-2% per hour, especially in severe Type A cases, reaching 20-50% within the first day or two. A wait-and-see approach is generally not appropriate, as rapid diagnosis, stabilization, surgery, or close medical management are often critical to improving survival outcomes. 

Misdiagnosis can significantly worsen outcomes, as delays in emergency care even by a few hours may allow the tear to extend, potentially affecting vital organs such as the heart or brain and narrowing the window for effective treatment. 

Type A vs. Type B Dissections

Not all aortic dissections are identical, and the classification of the dissection largely determines how it must be treated.

Type A dissections involve the ascending aorta, the portion closest to the heart. These are the most dangerous and typically require emergency open-heart surgery. Without surgical intervention, Type A dissections carry an extremely high risk of death.

Type B dissections involve the descending aorta and may sometimes be managed with medications to control blood pressure and reduce stress on the aortic wall, though complex Type B cases may also require surgical or endovascular procedures. 

Common Symptoms That Should Never Be Ignored

Aortic dissection symptoms often include:

• Sudden, severe chest or back pain that patients frequently describe as tearing, ripping, or sharp
• Pain that radiates to the neck, jaw, shoulders, or abdomen
• Sudden loss of consciousness or near-fainting
• Weakness or numbness in the arms or legs
• Difficulty breathing
• A difference in blood pressure readings between the two arms

These symptoms can arrive with jarring intensity and typically come on suddenly rather than building gradually over time.

Why It's Often Misdiagnosed

Despite the severity of aortic dissection, it has been known to be misdiagnosed at a troubling rate in emergency settings. The symptoms, particularly the chest pain and shortness of breath, closely resemble those of a heart attack. When an initial EKG or cardiac enzyme test doesn't immediately point to a heart attack, some providers may not escalate quickly enough to consider aortic dissection as the cause.

Other conditions like pulmonary embolism, musculoskeletal pain, and even severe acid reflux can produce overlapping symptoms. In a busy emergency room, that diagnostic overlap creates real risk. A provider who anchors too early on a less serious explanation and fails to order the appropriate imaging may miss a dissection entirely until the patient's condition deteriorates.

How Aortic Dissection Is Diagnosed

At The Becker Law Firm, we help victims of delayed aortic dissection diagnoses hold providers accountable when missed CT scans or protocol failures turn a treatable emergency deadly. 

The Role of CT Angiography

CT angiography is considered the gold standard for diagnosing aortic dissection. It provides detailed imaging of the aorta and can clearly identify the presence, type, and extent of a dissection. When performed promptly, it gives physicians the information they need to make urgent treatment decisions.

The key word is promptly. Ordering a CT angiography requires that a provider first considers aortic dissection as a possible diagnosis. If that consideration is skipped or delayed, the imaging is never ordered, and the diagnosis is never made until it may be too late. Depending on details of this unfortunate delayed diagnosis, it could be considered medical malpractice.

Emergency Room Protocols and Challenges

When aortic dissection is correctly diagnosed, emergency room protocols involve stabilizing the patient's blood pressure to reduce the force of blood against the weakened aortic wall, arranging urgent CT angiography, and immediately consulting or transferring the patient to a cardiac surgical team equipped to perform emergency surgery if needed.

The challenge is that these steps depend entirely on a physician recognizing the possibility of aortic dissection in the first place. In cases where providers are focused on ruling out more common conditions, or where early test results provide false reassurance, the urgency can be lost at exactly the moment it is most needed.

When Delayed Diagnosis Becomes a Legal Issue

At The Becker Law Firm, we know how to hold hospitals and doctors accountable when delayed aortic dissection diagnoses lead to devastating outcomes like preventable deaths or lifelong disabilities. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys understand the narrow treatment window and fight aggressively to secure justice for victims and families. If you’ve suffered due to a missed diagnosis, our free consultations can help determine if you have a strong claim. Contact us at 216-480-4620 today.

Missed or Delayed Diagnosis in Emergency Settings

When a healthcare provider fails to recognize the signs of aortic dissection, fails to order appropriate imaging in a timely manner, or dismisses a patient whose symptoms warranted further investigation, the result may be a preventable death or catastrophic injury. 

Medical malpractice in aortic dissection cases often involves one or more of the following:

• Failure to consider aortic dissection as part of the differential diagnosis when symptoms were present.
• Failure to order a CT angiography in a patient presenting with tearing chest or back pain.
• Misinterpreting or dismissing abnormal vital signs, particularly a blood pressure discrepancy between arms.
• Discharging a patient without adequate workup who later deteriorated or died.
• Delays in surgical referral once a diagnosis was made.

The Consequences of Medical Negligence

When aortic dissection is not diagnosed and treated in time, the consequences can be severe. Patients may pass away before they receive surgery. Those who survive a delayed diagnosis may suffer permanent damage to the heart, kidneys, spinal cord, or brain due to compromised blood flow during the period when the dissection was progressing untreated. These are not minor complications. They are life-altering outcomes that, in many cases, may have been entirely preventable if the standard of care had been followed. 

When this happens, it may constitute medical malpractice. If you suspect this might be the case, contact The Becker Law Firm at 216-480-4620. Our consultations are free, and we can help determine whether you may have a valid claim.

What to Do If You Suspect a Misdiagnosis

If you or a family member experienced a delayed diagnosis of aortic dissection, there are steps you can take:

1. Request and preserve all medical records from every facility involved in the care, including emergency room notes, imaging reports, lab results, and discharge paperwork.
2. Write down a detailed timeline of events as clearly as you can remember them, including when symptoms began, what was communicated to providers, and what treatments were and weren't offered.
3. Avoid discussing the case extensively with the hospital or insurance adjusters before speaking with an attorney.
4. Consult with a medical malpractice attorney with The Becker Law Firm who has experience with complex diagnostic failure cases. Time limits apply under Ohio law, so acting promptly matters. Call us today at 216-480-4620 to get started.

How The Becker Law Firm Can Help

Medical malpractice cases involving aortic dissection are among the most technically demanding. These claims require a deep understanding of emergency medicine standards, cardiovascular care protocols, and the specific decisions made at each stage of a patient's treatment. 

If a missed aortic dissection diagnosis caused a loved one's death or led to serious harm for you or a family member, you deserve clear answers on fault and your legal options. At The Becker Law Firm, our attorneys have the ability to retain qualified medical experts who may help explain to a jury what should have happened and why it may not have occurred as expected. 

Experience With Complex Medical Negligence Cases

The Becker Law Firm’s reputation is built on exactly these kinds of cases. While other firms may shy away from complicated medical claims, our team takes a direct and focused approach to your claim. We have extensive experience handling complex, high-stakes medical negligence claims for clients throughout Ohio. We understand what it takes to go up against hospitals, emergency physicians, and their insurance carriers. We don’t shy away from difficult cases, and we don’t settle for less than what our clients deserve. 

Contact The Becker Law Firm at 216-480-4620 to schedule your free consultation. We'll review what happened, answer your questions honestly, and help you decide how to move forward.